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Source Description
Side-blown trumpets were used on various occasions, and ivory examples seem to have been reserved for more solemn circumstances, such as funerals. As the mouthpiece is located on the inner curve, the person who played this instrument held it horizontally. A seated male Yombe ruler wearing a shell necklace and a European-style cloak and hat is carved on top. His blended dress shows how Yombe people (a Kongo sub-group) selectively adopted elements of foreign dress to wear with their own fashions.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
168743
label
Oliphant (Side-Blown Trumpet)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
168743
contentType
object
title
Oliphant (Side-Blown Trumpet)
description
Side-blown trumpets were used on various occasions, and ivory examples seem to have been reserved for more solemn circumstances, such as funerals. As the mouthpiece is located on the inner curve, the person who played this instrument held it horizontally. A seated male Yombe ruler wearing a shell necklace and a European-style cloak and hat is carved on top. His blended dress shows how Yombe people (a Kongo sub-group) selectively adopted elements of foreign dress to wear with their own fashions.
date
late 1800s–early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80075108
genreSpecific
Musical Instrument
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 32 x 4 x 6 cm (12 5/8 x 1 9/16 x 2 3/8 in.)
cul
Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo (most likely), Cabinda, or Republic of the Congo, probably Yombe-style maker
accession
2010.448
Source extras
tec
Ivory
tombstone
Oliphant (Side-Blown Trumpet), late 1800s–early 1900s. Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo (most likely), Cabinda, or Republic of the Congo, probably Yombe-style maker. Ivory; overall: 32 x 4 x 6 cm (12 5/8 x 1 9/16 x 2 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2010.448
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Kongo Kingdom rulers sent ornately carved large side-blown trumpets to Europe as diplomatic gifts during the sixteenth century.
citations
citation
Petridis, Constantine, et al. <em>Fragments of the Invisible: The René and Odette Delenne Collection of Congo Sculpture.</em> Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2013, 40-41, 45, 112.
page_number
Reproduced: p, 40-41, 45; mentioned: p. 112, cat. 7
creditline
René and Odette Delenne Collection, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:40:39.121000
sourceId
168743
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Ivory
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
6ba68d28f4ba26a2