Oliphant with hunting imagery
Type:
Oliphants
Date:
Twelfth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Italy
Medium:
Ivory
Dimensions:
64 × 34 cm
Description:
This oliphant, or hunting horn, made from a Savannah elephant tusk, is one of about eighty extant examples. It was likely carved in southern Italy (possibly Sicily) using African ivory sourced through trans-Saharan trade. This one is somewhat unusual because it depicts human figures. As part of its hunt and combat imagery, animals are arranged in long bands, among them an elephant with large tusks. The silver mount was made in England ca. 1620.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
7
Repository and Online Resources:
• Read more about this oliphant on the website of the Aga Khan Museum.
Image Credits:
Erika Loic; AKM
