Tusk
date: label: Date
content: 1861
name: label: Maker
content: Kongo artist
notes: label: Label Text
content: This ivory tusk, collected in 1861, 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. 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 damaged (the head of the female figure finial is broken off and missing) it has both interesting imagery that relates to trade and local traditions and a base that documents its collection history: Paymaster Geo. Kennedy U.S. Navy to Dudley Kavanagh 1863 Procured on West Coast of Africa in 1861.
label: Label Text
content: The scenes are separate vignettes and not meant to be read as a continuous story. Among the important representations on the tusk are: hauling fish on a rope, men with guns and monkey, man with double gong, bird.
label: Label Text
content: 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.
label: Description
content: Ivory tusk with spiral relief carving of Africans with finial of female with head missing. Reliefs include hauling fish on a rope, men with guns and a monkey, a man with a double gong and a bird.
label: Provenance
content: George Kennedy, U.S. Navy, 1861 to 1863
label: Provenance
content: Dudley Kavanagh, 1863
label: Provenance
content: Edward Eliçofon, New York, -- to 1974
label: Content Statement
content: 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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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.
label: Image Requests
content: 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/
place: label: Geography
content: Loango coast, Congo
topic: label: Topic
content: fish
label: Topic
content: bird
label: Topic
content: mother and child
label: Topic
content: musical instrument
label: Topic
content: weapon
label: Topic
content: monkey
label: Topic
content: male
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African Art Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Edward I. Eliçofon
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African Art
identifier: label: Object number
content: 74-20-1
objectType: label: Type
content: Sculpture
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Ivory, wood
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 34.4 x 13.5 x 13.5 cm (13 9/16 x 5 5/16 x 5 5/16 in.)