Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
Carved out of ivory or wood in a variety of shapes, Chokwe whistles often bear miniature, stylized renderings of masks. Cikunza, the "patron saint" of the boys' initiation into manhood, is depicted with a pointed extension imitating the horn of a road antelope, symbolizing the fertility spirit. Typically such whistles were used by men during the hunt to communicate with their co-hunters and to call their dogs. They were either worn attached to a string as a necklace or tied to a spear.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
94882
label
Whistle
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
94882
contentType
object
title
Whistle
description
Carved out of ivory or wood in a variety of shapes, Chokwe whistles often bear miniature, stylized renderings of masks. Cikunza, the "patron saint" of the boys' initiation into manhood, is depicted with a pointed extension imitating the horn of a road antelope, symbolizing the fertility spirit. Typically such whistles were used by men during the hunt to communicate with their co-hunters and to call their dogs. They were either worn attached to a string as a necklace or tied to a spear.
date
late 1800s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79475735
genreSpecific
Musical Instrument
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 5.7 x 3.2 cm (2 1/4 x 1 1/4 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo or Angola, Chokwe-style maker
accession
1915.442
Source extras
tec
Probably hippopotamus ivory
tombstone
Whistle, late 1800s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo or Angola, Chokwe-style maker. Probably hippopotamus ivory; overall: 5.7 x 3.2 cm (2 1/4 x 1 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Educational Purchase Fund, 1915.442
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
This whistle is the first piece from sub-Saharan Africa acquired by the CMA.
creditline
Educational Purchase Fund
updatedAt
2026-06-01 11:05:54.509000
sourceId
94882
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Probably hippopotamus ivory
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
f56374e52e6b089a