Ivory Tusk with Relief Carving

This Carved Altar Tusk is part of the historical collections from the Benin Kingdom, in present-day Nigeria. In 1897, the kingdom was conquered and Oba (king) Ovonramwen banned into exile. The loot from the royal palace was then sold through the art market to finance the conquest in retrospect. Many of these objects today constitute European collections.Through its provenance, this Carved Altar Tusk can be directly linked with the events of 1897.