Side-Blown Horn (pungi)

The material prestige of an ivory trumpet such as this one reinforced the solemnity of any ceremony at which it sounded. Across equatorial Africa, ivory was a precious material strictly controlled by chiefs and kings. Repeated handling and applications of palm oil have resulted in the deep red-orange color of this horn’s surface. The trumpet finial features the likeness of a Punu "mukudj" mask representing an idealized woman. "Mukudj" masks were associated with the Okuyi society, who performed in funerary contexts for individuals of rank, as well as male initiations and public hearings, suggesting this instrument’s appearance at those events. Punu side-blown trumpets carved from ivory are exceedingly rare, as those attributed to the group are more commonly made of antelope horn rather than ivory.