“Sapi” is a collective term for some of the pre-Mende peoples of Sierra Leone, such as the ancestors of the modern-day Temne, Bullom and Kissi. In the 15th century, early Portuguese traders and explorers, impressed with the carving traditions of the region, began commissioning luxurious ivory carvings from the Sapi, to store valuable commodities such as salt and pepper. These pieces combine centuries old African carving traditions imbued with imagery relating to indigenous Sapi belief systems, with innovations inspired by the European aesthetics of their patrons. While among the most celebrated examples of African ivory carvings, finding their way into European princely collections, they have also been described as an early form of commissioned “tourist art”, and provide us with an interesting window into the cross-cultural exchanges taking place during the early days of European contact on the West-African coast.
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