Oliphant
about 1100
Object PlaceAmalfi, Southern Italy
Medium/TechniqueIvory
Dimensions53.4 cm (21 in.)
Credit LineMaria Antoinette Evans Fund
Accession number57.581
On View
On viewClassificationsDecorative arts
Collections
Oliphant is the medieval French word for elephant. African elephant ivory, one of the most precious materials used in medieval art came to southern Italian ports through trade with the Islamic East as early as the tenth century. Oliphants were primarily intended for display although are fashioned like horns for hunting and war. The graphic hunting scenes carved on one oliphant in this case may allude to the owner's prowess on the fields of battle and the hunt. The delicate, abstract carving on the second oliphant reflects the influence of Egyptian art and the cultural exchanges resulting from international trade.
ProvenanceAbout 1750, acquired by Anselm Kasimir, Graf zu Eltz [see note 1]; until 1957, by descent within the family to Jakob Graf zu Eltz, Eltville, Germany; 1957, sold by Graf zu Eltz, through Count Ernst Otto von Solms-Laubach (b. 1890 - d. 1977), Frankfurt, to the MFA for $25,000. (Accession Date: October 9, 1957).
NOTES:
[1] The provenance of the oliphant was established with the generous assistance of Dr. Karl Graf zu Eltz.
NOTES:
[1] The provenance of the oliphant was established with the generous assistance of Dr. Karl Graf zu Eltz.
late 18th century
second half of the 16th century
19th century
17th century
early 18th century
early 18th century
