Curved ivory tusk carved with spiraling bands of figures and animals, standing on a black wooden base with a gold inscribed band.

Carved ivory tusk on wooden base, Kongo, 1861

A curved ivory tusk tapers upward from a dark wooden base, its surface carved in spiraling bands of small human figures, animals, and birds against a plain, dimly lit background. A gold-colored band at the base bears a short printed inscription.

Artist: Kongo artist
Date: 1861
Medium: Ivory, wood
Source: Smithsonian (National Museum of African Art)
Size: 2297 × 2880 px

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Public domain · Smithsonian (National Museum of African Art) releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1861).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Smithsonian Open Access)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of African Art

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