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“Bini, Vidi, Vici” – On the Misuse of “Style” in the Analysis of Sixteenth Century Luso-African Ivories

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2015

Peter Mark
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Abstract

The Luso-African [or Afro-Portuguese] ivories from West Africa include hunting horns (so-called “olifants” or “oliphants”), spoons, and lidded bowls (saltcellars) embellished with human figures and animals. These objects, first imported into Europe at the beginning of the sixteenth century, have engendered debate over dating and provenance. While scholars agree that the early sixteenth-century pieces were produced by “Sape(s)” (or “Sapi”) artists from the Upper Guinea Coast (“Serra Leoa” in Portuguese sources), there is substantial disagreement whether post-1550 ivories came from “Serra Leoa” or Nigeria. This article argues for Serra Leoa, based on a methodological approach whereby Portuguese written documents, establishing the socio-historical context, and demonstrating continued production by “Sape” artists, are a necessary pre-condition to any stylistic comparison of objects.

Résumé

Les ivoires luso-africains (ou afro-portugais) de l’Afrique de l’Ouest comprennent des défenses d’éléphant, utilisées comme cors de chasse (“olifants”), des cuillères et des bols à couvercle décorés de figures humaines et d’animaux. Ces objets, importés en Europe à partir du début du XVIème siècle, ont provoqué de nombreux débats sur leur signification et leur origine. Si les chercheurs s’accordent sur le fait que les pièces datant du XVIème siècle furent produites par des artistes dit “Sape(s)” (ou “Sapi”) originaires des côtes de la Guinée (dans les sources portuguaises, “Serra Leoa”), des désaccords importants subsistent sur la question de savoir si les ivoires postérieures à 1550 proviennent de “Serra Leoa” ou du Nigéria. Cet article favorise la première hypothèse. Pour ce faire, il prône une approche méthodologique reposant sur l’étude des sources écrites portugaises afin de retracer le contexte socio-historique, ce qui donne des éléments de preuve sur la continuité de production des artistes “Sape,” jusqu’à la première moitié du XVIIème siècle.

Type
Material Culture and Commerce in Precolonial Africa
Information
History in Africa , Volume 42 , June 2015 , pp. 323 - 334
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2015 

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