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Tusk with Figurative Relief

ca. 1880–1890
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 344
Two distinct casts of characters, rendered in disparate styles, fill the surface of this colossal elephant tusk. Scenes descend from the tip in a spiral that mirrors Kongo notions of the luzîngu (life cycle). These present the brutality of the slave trade, beginning with the violence of capture. Vignettes depicting the forced removal of individuals in bondage are interspersed with those of negotiations between regional chiefs and European merchants, in which textiles feature prominently. The base of the tusk, which has been laid out in a grid, is executed in a shallower, more linear style that suggests the hand of a second carver. That segment depicts the gods and goddesses of the Roman calendar, a subject likely adapted from printed materials provided by a European patron. The repeated violent nature of the quotidian interactions depicted by the artist provides an incisive critique of European exploitation.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Tusk with Figurative Relief
  • Artist: Vili-Kongo artist(s)
  • Artist: Kongo artist
  • Date: ca. 1880–1890
  • Geography: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Loango Coast region; Republic of the Congo; Cabinda, Angola
  • Culture: Kongo, Vili group
  • Medium: Ivory
  • Dimensions: H. 26 1/2 x W. 5 1/2 x D. 2 1/2 in (H. 67.3 x W. 14 x D. 2 1/2 cm.)
  • Classification: Bone/Ivory-Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Gift of Marian Malcolm, in loving memory of her husband, Daniel Malcolm, 2022
  • Object Number: 2022.516.2
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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