Object Details
- Label Text
- This ivory tusk, dating to the late 19th century, is an example of an important tradition of export art. It was carved by an artist who lived along the Loango coast in the Congo region. Almost certainly using iron tools, he rendered with detail a series of pictorial sequences in relief that spiral the length of the tusk. Figures in the scenes depict everyday Loango life as experienced by coastal peoples during the latter half of the 19th century. Although severely damaged (broken through the center and missing its top figure or loop) it has interesting imagery that relate to trade and local traditions.
- The scenes are separate vignettes and not meant to be read as a continuous story. Among the important representations on the tusk are: a coastal trading house with flag, African bearers in chains, Africans in western dress, blacksmith with bellows, snake, bird, monkey, snail shells.The snail shells may be interpreted as containers for ritual materials.
- Certain motifs and details of the horn combined with its narrative composition point toward an interpretation that is linked to Kongo notions of death and the afterlife.
- The earlier tradition of nonfigurative Kongo ivory horns carved and played in Kongo courts can be compared with the later figurative Kongo ivory horns carved for export to Europe. The spiral form is an important compositional device found on horns from both traditions. In the former it has been speculated that the open spiral compositional lines allude to the path the dead follow from earth to the ancestral realm and back again as newborns. In the latter it has been suggested that the parade of figures symbolizes the long winding procession followed by both the living and the dead as they climb from the ocean to the mountains leading to the Kongo capital and the home of the ancestors.
- Description
- Ivory tusk with nine level spiral of relief carving including European station with flag, African bearers in chains, Africans in western dress, blacksmith with bellows, snake, bird, monkey, snail shells. Bad repair in center, finial missing.
- Published References
- Mellor, S. 2007. From Delicious to Not Quite Right: Subtleties in Discerning the Authenticity of African Art. Objects Specialty Group Postprints, Volume 14 CD. Washington, DC: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, p.27, no.32.
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Date
- Late 19th century
- Maker
- Kongo artist
- Geography
- Loango coast, Congo
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Angola
- Topic
- bird
- foreigner
- snake
- weapon
- boat
- tool
- monkey
- male
- See more items in
- National Museum of African Art Collection
- Credit Line
- Gift of Harry and Freda Schaeffer
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Object number
- 68-23-53
- Type
- Sculpture
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Medium
- Ivory
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 73.3 x 6.4 x 6.4 cm (28 7/8 x 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 in.)
- Record ID
- nmafa_68-23-53
3D Model