A transverse horn of ivory, with round blow hole at the side. With such signal horns, in the small kingdoms of the Cameroon Grasslands in north-west Cameroon, the arrival of the king is announced to his subjects.
On the top of the trumpet sits a figure of the king, carved from the same piece of ivory. The king wears a projection, carved in relief rings, on his head (probably to fasten a carrying strap to the trumpet). He holds with both hands a long object in front of his chest (a sceptre or a drinking horn?) and sits on a typical, round Cameroon stool. Beneath the seated king a relief band of foliate motifs runs around the transverse horn.
In the following, smooth part of the instrument is the inlaid and outlined blow hole, followed below by an additional relief band with triangular motifs (with raster pattern on the interior), terminating in an old cuff made of leather, originally dyed black. Ivory naturally darkens over time.
The speckled, yellowish colouring, the slight cracks and the craquelure of the ivory indicate the old age of this object. As does the visibly very old leather cuff below. A piece with good, old patina and no significant damage. Length: c. 37 cm. 19th century. (ME) ASA

Provenance: Polish private collection.

Lit.: ‘Visual Diplomacy. The Art of the Cameroon Grassfields’ by Marceline K. Wittmer, catalogue, Hurst Gallery, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, ill. 13.