Aken’ni Elao (altar tusks) are usually ivory tusks carved with scenes of ceremonies or spiritual activities. These were placed at the ancestral shrines of the Ọba and were primarily made as a historical record for documenting events. For the Edo people, the white colour of ivory represents the purity of spirituality. The Ọba owns one tusk from every elephant killed by right and reserves the right to buy the other one. Aken’ni Elao are placed in the opening in commemorative heads at the ancestral altar.

) speculated that the Igbesanmwan began carving tusks specifically for altars around 1750 during the reign of Ọba Akengbuda. According to reports by members of the British expedition in 1897, carved ivory tusks were found on altars in Ọba Palace. Owing to the destructive nature of the expedition, and because so little was recorded, it has been difficult for scholars to reconstruct the exact ways tusks were used or their number (Blackmun, 1983, p.60

). However, a rare image taken by Cyril Punch in 1892 shows an altar with tusks and other objects arranged on top. It is believed that tusks – carved and plain – were mounted on bronze commemorative heads and placed on royal altars.

This category includes whole tusks as well as fragments.

Aken'ni Elao

Altar Tusk

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Website

Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust

Internal Data (eng)

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Digital Benin linked field	Institution field	Value
object id	Acc/ID Number	WA507021
designation	Object Name	Tusk
description	Description	Carved animal ivory tusk. The top section is carved with a human face and geometric designs. circa late 19c/early 20c. Possbly from Nigeria and Benin city.
description	Description/Acquisition Overview
material	Materials	Animal ivory
dimensions	Measurements
object type	Record Type	Inventory
date made	Date Created
production place	Place Created	West Africa, Africa
prior source	Credit Line
prior source	Donor	Unknown
provenance	Collector
provenance	Object (hi)story	Acquired by museum in 1995-96
date collected	Date Collected
place collected	Place Collected
ethnic attribution	Cultural Grp
department and institution	Department	World Art
accession date	Acquistion date	Acquired by museum in 1995-96
notes	New research info 2022
exhibition history	Ext Exhib History
legal status	Legal Status	PERMANENT COLLECTION
	Creator
	Documentation Issues	No linked acquisition record, did this object come in as late as 1995/6? check acc register/day book. Patina on ivory suggests could be 19c and could be from Benin city Nigeria. Add to Benin list for investigation. RHH 18/05/2012.
	History file contents
	Loan Allowed?
	Other no.	no other no. & no acqu record - search day book.

Ẹyo Otọ

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