- DIMENSIONS:
- Length 381 mm; Diameter (max) 96 mm
- DESCRIPTION:
- Carved from a single elephant-tusk. Ornamented
externally with nine sweeping flutings terminating in regular scalloped
ends, leaving an undecorated band at the mouth. The general appearance
suggests that this was a side-blown horn, an impression enhanced by
a slight thickening of the four flutings on the inner curve at the
broken narrow end, which may indicate the former presence of an embouchure
just beyond the break, and confirmed by the description of 1685. The
integral terminal is now missing; there are traces of an attempted
repair in the form of three peg-holes let into the broken surface,
one of them still containing an iron peg. A small perforated lug protrudes
from near the centre of the inner curve. Much of the surface is marked
by striations from the carving process which subsequent polishing
has failed to remove./span>
- COMMENTARY:
- This broken blast-horn or trumpet belongs
to a small group of up to a dozen specimens preserved in early museum
collections, whose common denominator is the scalloped fluting which
ornaments the greater portion of the exterior. The fluting would appear
to be a European trait, but it is improbable that these horns are
to be classified as Afro-Portuguese in view of their characteristically
African lozenge-shaped embouchure placed almost centrally on the inner
curve of the tusk. They are usually provided with one lug for suspension,
generally on the outside curve. The narrow or distal end (in terms
of elephant anatomy) is carved in most cases with a crocodile-headed
terminal. According to the description in the 1685 catalogue, this
particular example terminated in a human hand-form. While it is difficult
to assign the horn with certainty to any particular point on the west
African littoral, the Ivory Coast seems the most probable point of
origin.
- Museum Id. No:
- 1656
p. 38: Divers rare and antient pieces carved in Ivory or Spurres from Turkey
1685 B no. 755: Lituus indicus eburneus, curvatus; una extremitas humanae
manus speciem exhibet. In media parte foramen habet ad canendum aptatum
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