Ivory Trumpet with Female Figure

Date

18th to19th century

Creator

Tusk trumpets like this one were found throughout Africa. The trumpet was played from the mouthpiece drilled in the side. The player created different tones by covering and uncovering the opening at the bell of the instrument. Carvers could take months to transform a tusk into a playable instrument. Ivory was an extremely prized material and, tragically, continues to be in high demand. The illicit poaching of elephants for the ivory trade continues in alarming numbers, with recent research suggesting the rate of species decline is roughly 8 percent annually. Once, there were over 20 million elephants roaming the African continent; in 2019, there were roughly 350,000 remaining.