Carved ivory tusk depicting Europeans

The Bakongo tribe in the Loango region in present-day Gabon is renowned for its fine ivory sculptures, some of which depict scenes of European presence in Africa and its impacts on locals during the second half of the 19th century. Bakongo carvers’ works are recognisable by the spiral band that wraps around the tusk from the base to the apex. The traditional artistic material was wood or horn, as ivory was a precious material for which demand had only increased with colonialism. The material indicates that carved ivory tusks like this were certainly made to meet European tastes and to be sold as souvenirs. The Central African elephant nearly became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century. These carved tusks are probably inspired by African side-blown horns, which are musical instruments with similar decoration. Artists devoted up to 16 months of uninterrupted work to the large tusks. The number of figures carved on the tusk determined its sale value, and this in turn influenced artistic conception. The engraved live scenes on the tusk depict interactions between Europeans and Africans in a colonised territory.