PROBABLY LUBA, CONGO
IVORY, HEIGHT 52CM

A beautifully decorated female figure carved on the horn. This is a very special status piece. Trumpets like this one normally belonged to royalty or an important chief, and were used to announce their arrival at gatherings or other special occasions, or to silence the crowd for an upcoming speech. The orange/black colour stems from continuous applications with palm oil. There is a slight crack at the bottom area, otherwise in excellent condition.