TRIBAL ART. A CENTRAL AFRICAN IVORY CLUB

TRIBAL ART. A CENTRAL AFRICAN IVORY CLUB, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 19TH C, PRE 1889 with raffia carved grip and of rich, old golden brown patina, adapted as a desk thermometer and mounted on an ivory base in 1899, 32cm h, underside inscribed Bast Schlager eines Neger Konigs aus Njangwe (oberer Congo) von Tippu Tipp 1889 nach Deutsch Ost Afrika gebracht Geschenk des Herrn G W H WestendarpProvenance: Presented by Tippu Tip (1932-1905) to G W H Westendarp in 1889.A slave trader, ivory trader and explorer, Tippu Tip (Hamad bin Muhammad bin Juma Rajab el Murjebi) frequently led expeditions into the heart of Africa buying or plundering ivory to sell in his native Zanzibar and slaves for the country's plantations. He was immensely successful in his trade, at one point owning 10,000 slaves.In 1871 David Livingstone witnessed the massacre of 400 Africans in Njangwe (Nyangwe) by arab slavers. Three years later H M Stanley visited the town with Tippu Tip (meaning 'gatherer of wealth') who also assisted several other explorers. The cover of the "Illustrated London News" for December 7 1889 featured his memorial portrait.