Oliphant

16th century, inventoried 1553

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This trumpet carved from precious ivory is among the earliest creations sent from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe. A purely decorative presentation piece, it likely entered the Medici collections in Florence as a token of appreciation from the Kongo sovereign Afonso I (r. 1509–42) to Pope Leo X (r. 1513–21), the former Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici, for appointing his son Henrique a bishop. This oliphant and a similar one appear in the 1553 inventory of Cosimo I de’ Medici’s collection as: “two ivory horns with engraved motifs.” In the late sixteenth century, non-European objects were of interest primarily for their marvelous materials and as evidence of manufacturing skills rather than for their place of origin.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Oliphant
Date: 16th century, inventoried 1553
Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kongo Kingdom; Republic of the Congo; Angola
Culture: Kongo peoples
Medium: Ivory
Dimensions: H. 32 5/8 in. (83 cm), Diam. 3 in. (7.5 cm)
Classification: Bone/Ivory-Musical Instruments
Credit Line: Palazzo Pitti, Museo degli Argenti, Florence (Bg. 1879 avori, n.2)
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing