Ivory and bone

The noblest living material par excellence, ivory, was reserved exclusively for the use of the monarch and only some important court dignitaries could make a personal commission. Since the end of the century XVbrought by the Portuguese, the European courts discover the first pieces of ivory beautifully sculpted by African artists. The main highlights are the cups, salt salts and spoons carved by the Sapi of Sierra Leone and the magnificent tubes or smells of both the Sapi and other peoples of the Congo. Few are the European courts or famous collectors who, from that date, have not managed to take one of these exceptional creations, known under the name of sapi-Portuguese ivorys. Other important creations are due to the Bini or Edo of the former Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria. Some other villages have sculpted interesting pieces of ivory, such as the statues of Baule or the statuettes and small masks of the Lega. Leaving aside the fangs carved with rows of elephants during the second half of the century XX, destined for the European market, ivory has not been a material widely used in Africa. For the high level of his creations and for the nobility of the material the work of ivory was always a real art. SMALL HOUSING MASKS These small masks are usually carved into bovid bone, preferably the tibia. The most well-known are those manufactured by Baulé. On average they range between ten and twenty centimeters. The larger ones are usually commemorative masks, representing an ancestor or, like some passport masks, representing a known or important mask. Some are intended to be ported as protective pendants or amulets, others as ornament or simply decorative.