Tusk

This ivory tusk, collected in 1861, is an example of an important tradition of export art. It was carved by an artist who lived along the Loango coast in the Congo region. He rendered with detail a series of pictorial sequences in relief that spiral the length of the tusk. Figures in the scenes seem to depict Loango life as a series of men posed and making culturally significant gestures. It has both interesting imagery that relates to trade and local traditions and a base that documents its collection history: Paymaster Geo. Kennedy U.S. Navy to Dudley Kavanagh 1863 Procured on West Coast of Africa in 1861.