Hunting Horn - Oliphant Horn. Sierra Leone (West Coast), Africa. 15th and 16th Century. From The British Museum (Museum # Af1979,01.3156
Brief Identification[]
The oliphant was a piece of decorative art made by the Sapi people of Sierra Leone, Africa. Sierra Leone is located along the southwestern coast of Africa. Dating back to the sixteenth century the sophisticated hand-made traditions in Africa were the creation of ivory sculptural artwork. The Sapi people created many different pieces of artwork one of their carvings being an ivory horn known as an oliphant. The oliphant included a mouthpiece at tip or side of the horn to create the sound and it was decorated with images of various European and African animals. These ivory carvings were but one of several desired products produced by the Sapi people. These items were highly valued by European art collectors and African historians. The origin of the works of art has been loan discussed since the scenes are obviously influenced by European artists. The date of origin and original location of the oliphant has drawn the attention of many African historians. “The apparent divide between early ivory and stone sculpture of the Sierra Leone region on the one hand and more recent work in wood on the other has long intrigued Africanist historians and art historians.” [Hart 1995, Page 34]
Technical Evaluation[]
The ivory needed for the oliphant horn was found locally as it came from African elephants. These high-quality carved works of art were marketed across Europe. The artisans could exercise their creativity as they were skilled carvers that replicated scenes that were mostly found in European of African settings. The Sapi artisans carved the scenes of hunting or indigenous animals in great detail onto the ivory horns. The Sapi carvings contained elaborate scenes that were greatly influenced by scenes found in European books. The trade value of these creations made them popular with the Portuguese traders, who sold them abroad. The oliphant horn had a small stop-hole at the end (the most popular version) that was typically covered with a cured piece of animal hide. Another option was carving the blow hole into the side of the horn but this option was less popular. The Sapi were very skills artisans “they (the Sapi) make subtle works of ivory like spoons, salt-cellars and manillas. The men of this region are highly skilled Blacks in the manual arts, which is to say, making ivory salt cellars and spoons, and anything that you draw for them, they can carve in ivory”. [Afonso 2013, Page 81]
Local Historical Context[]
The Sapi name was given to the local people by Portuguese traders when they entered the region of Sierra Leone. The first trade goods from west Africa to be sold in Europe were carvings made of ivory. In addition to the oliphant, the Sapi also produced; spoons, forks and salt cellars. “The first trade goods from west Africa to be sold in Europe were the Afro-Portuguese ivories, exquisitely carved spoons, forks, saltcellars, pyxes and oliphants”. [Sherwood 2005, Page 1] Historians believe that artisans from Europe were brought in to train the Sapi people to create the elaborate carvings. Some historians believed that the Sapi people could have been training in Europe. The exposure to disease found in Africa in the fifteenth century may have deterred the Europeans artist from traveling to Africa. The art work by the Sapi was unique in many ways and the influences of the European trade markets are evident “We maybe grateful for the sixteenth century Portuguese for their good taste, for in later times hybridism in African art has taken far less harmonious forms, in the curios mass produced for the naïve traveler.” [Fagg 1959, Page 24]
World-Historical Significance[]
The ability of the Sapi people to produce goods sold in the European markets provided a boost to the African economy. The African people wanted goods from abroad such as; silk, clothing, hats, metal utensils and horses. The ability of the African people to trade for these goods with locally produced ivory carvings such as the oliphant would allow them to obtain these items. Historians continue to explore various examples of these carvings “This oliphant is one of only six other side-blown horns carved by West African artists for a European clientele held in recorded collections. Oliphants were popular and valuable additions to European art collections, and several of them have been linked with some of Europe's most powerful courts of the time.” [Sherwood 2005, Page 1] The pieces of artwork, including the oliphant, debunk the notion that Africa during the fifteenth and sixteenth century was perceived to have a lack of history. “The ivories here, made at the moment of first contact, are evidence of sophisticated artists in African kingdoms” [Bassani 1988, Page 8] The introduction of goods not found locally prompted the African economy to evolve in many areas that otherwise would have remained dormant.
Hunting Horn. Sierra Leone (West Coast) Africa. 15th and 16th Century. From the Smithsonian (National Museum of African Art).
Bibliography[]
- Hart, W.A. “Continuity and Discontinuity in the Art History of the Sierra Leone.” African Arts;Los Angeles Volume 30 Issue 2. 1995. Page 34
- Afonso, L.U. “Afro-Portuguese Oliphants with hunting scenes” (c. 1490- c. 1540). Article Mande Studies Volume 15. 2013. Page 81
- Sherwood, Edith. “Bartholomeo Marchionni and the Africa Portuguese Ivories.” 2005 Articles by Edith Sherwood. Page 1
- Bassani, Ezio. “Africa and the Renaissance: Art and Ivory.” 1988. Page 8.
- Fagg W.B. “Afro-Portuguese Ivories.” 1959. Page 24
- Hart, W.A. “Afro-Portuguese Echoes in the Art of Upper New Guinea.” Journal Anthropology and Aesthetics No. 51 Spring 2007. Pages 77-86.