Lot 47
West Africa, Cameroon, ca. 19th century CE. A water buffalo horn that has been carved with abstract designs in relief to form a decorated drinking horn. The lower portion of the horn has been trimmed to a flat edge and smoothed. Above that, as the horn widens, is a series of tiny raised squares; above those, at the widest part of the horn, is an iconographical program of spirals, diamonds, and shapes that seem to suggest waves, fish, and fish hooks. Comes with custom stand. Size: 9.8" L x 3" W (24.9 cm x 7.6 cm); height on stand: 9.5" (24.1 cm).
The mouth has also been drilled in several places, perhaps to attach this horn to a strap or article of clothing. The water buffalo, also known as the African buffalo or Cape buffalo, possesses very distinctive horns that form a continuous bone shield with their skull called a "boss"; they have a downward tilt and then, as they narrow, swoop dramatically outward and upward from the head. These animals are some of the most dangerous in Africa, but serve as an important source of meat for the people of Cameroon (and elsewhere in Africa). The relationship between hunter and prey would have included a respect for their power, and by using their horn to make a drinking vessel, they would have symbolically drawn upon that power.
Provenance: Ex-New Jersey Collection, Ex- Old Dutch collection
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#120077
- Condition: Small losses to mouth/rim area. Lustrous dark patina on higher profile parts of piece, with some light encrustation in lower profile parts.
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