Ancestral Altar Tusk, c. 1820. Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igbesanmwan (wood and ivory carvers) guild. Elephant ivory; overall: 197.4 cm (77 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Katherine C. White 1968.284
Ọba Ọsẹmwẹdẹ commissioned the carving of this tusk to connect with his ancestors and symbolize his strength. It is covered with royal figures wearing elaborate regalia and scenes of power, ritual, and violence. While Benin royal symbols may look similar across centuries, their meanings can shift. Ọsẹmwẹdẹ’s reign was prosperous due to trade with the Dutch; however, 16th-century Portuguese men are carved on the lower tusk. By the 1800s they represented <em>any</em> European traders. This tusk’s surface likely became worn and cracked from frequent washing, bleaching, and the applying of a white clay (<em>orhue</em>) linked to peace, purity, and prosperity.
Blackmun, Barbara Winston. 1994. "History and Statecraft on a Tusk from Old Benin". <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art. </em>81 (4): 87-115.