Before the arrival and establishment of the Portuguese in the 15th/16th centuries, the Kongo (or Bakongo) reigned over a large kingdom at the lower end of the river Congo, along the Atlantic coast from south Gabon to northern Angola. They had a powerful monarchy, a royal court and plenty of courtly art.
The representation of the present side-blown trumpet harks back to this bygone era of the Kingdom of Congo and its traditions:
The entire instrument is carved from one piece of hard, light-coloured wood. It was originally dyed black and is divided into three segments by protruding, round flower-like rings.
Right on the top, the king sits on his throne. He wears a cap, decorated with delicate lines and a long, twisted braid hangs down from the back of his head. A necklace with a pendant hangs around his neck and he holds a drinking horn in his left hand. The bent right hand has unfortunately broken off (an old breakage). Perhaps with this right hand the king held the lower part of an empowering ‘holy medicinal plant’, known as ‘mukhuisa’, that he was chewing on. The remaining stalk of the plant protrudes from the left corner of his mouth. This representation of the ‘chewing king’ often appears on the ivory sceptres of the kings of the Congo. The king is wearing a form of pleated trousers. The first upper part of the side-blown trumpet is round. On the side sits the diamond-shaped relief, two tiered blow hole. On the left and right of the blow hole lie two elegant, four-legged animals, who are pulling their heads together. They are carved in relief and their bodies are decorated with a delicate, diamond-shaped, incised pattern (leopard fur?).
The second section of the side-blown horn is square. On each of the four surfaces lies a woman with tucked legs. She has been carved in relief (the wife of the king?). The third, lower segment of the trumpet is square-shaped in parts however becomes round towards the bell of the trumpet. The relief here shows two lizards and two snakes (mythological animals of the earth?).
Overall it is a very old and highly interesting object and stylistically corresponds to the courtly art of the Congo. It has some age-related damage: the right hand of the king has broken, there are some minimal breakages next to the throne and on the first segment, as well as a narrow crack in the second and third segments (right and lower left). There is also some colour abrasion in parts. It is, however, a piece with a convincing, ‘softly’ worn shiny patina from protracted use. Length: c. 73 cm. 19th century or earlier. (ME)

Provenance:
German Private Collection.