Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Oliphant
Not on view
Ivory artifacts contributed to the majesty of courts along the Congo River and the Loango coast. Much esteemed for their size and strength, elephants ranked highly among royal icons. Their precious ivory marked the status of royal wives, who had the right to wear ivory arm rings. At the cemetery at Loandjili, near Buali, where crowned kings were buried, graves were marked by the most highly prized tusks. As trade developed with Europe, ivory was one of the most desirable regional resources.
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