Misc_007051 Liberia, early 20th century elephant tail, leather, braided raffia; 18 in / 21.5 in. incl. strap (45.7 / 54.6 cm); collected by Walter Logan Fry, 1934-1935; private collection of William Logan Fry.

In most of Africa, fly whisks were carried as prestige regalia and during masquerades. The were carried as a symbol of power by a big chief. Such important people had attendants to shoo away pesky insects or may have used the whisks to emphasize both gestures and spoken words. The materials tended to be inherently status conferring materials. The fly whisk in the Fry collection, with its fine leather and finely braided handle, is one of the most exquisite fly whisks to be found in any museum collection. The Akan fly whisk from Ghana, below, is made of an elephant tail, implying that its owner has the power and wealth of the elephant. Source: National Museum of African Art.

Elephant Tail Whisk Ghana, mid-20th century; elephant tail, leather and braided cord; 52 cm h x 15.6 cm w x 3.2 cm d (20 1/2 x 6 1/8 x 1 1/4 in.); Gift of Allen Clayton Davis; National Museum of African Art; Object No: 2002-22-15