This unique and perfectly cast brass balafon player and balafon is very typical of the workmanship of the Mossi brass casters of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. They continue to employ the lost wax brass casting technique typical among many African peoples. Every piece is first molded in wax, covered with a mud/sand investment, baked until hard and the wax melts out, then the molten brass is poured into the mold which is broken off to reveal the artwork of the casters. They literally break the mold after every piece is cast.

The man measures 4 7/8 x 5 1/2 x 5 3/4" (12 x 14 x 15 cm). The balafon 5 7/8 x 2 7/8 x 2 3/4" (15 x 7 x 7 cm)