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John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, photography credit Joel Benjamin
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, photography credit Joel Benjamin
Ivory Sculpture
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, photography credit Joel Benjamin
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Ivory Sculpture

Artifact IDMO 63.478
Object Type Vase
Date before 1962
Gifter
Place MadeDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Africa
Medium Ivory
DimensionsOverall H 16 in x W 4 in (40.6 cm x 10.2 cm )
Physical DescriptionSculpture or vase (no base) carved from an elephant tusk. The sculpture is cylindrical in shape with a hole in the bottom. It is carved in high relief in three registers with people (walking and kneeling), trees, huts and animals.
Historical NoteThis ivory carving was given to President Kennedy by Congolese political figure Emmanuel Bamba (1920-1966), who was serving as Minister of Finance within the administration of Prime Minister Cyrille Adoula.

Many state gifts made of elephant ivory were made to President Kennedy during his time in office. Today, they trouble us as we continue to agonize over the fast approach of mass extinction of so many species on the planet. At the time they were given to Kennedy, no one was tracking the decline of the elephant population. Poaching, loss of habitat and now severe droughts brought on by climate change have led to the World Wildlife Federation’s prediction that wild elephants will be extinct by 2040 if current conditions remain unchanged.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteItem was a gift from a foreign official to the President and First Lady received through the Executive office during the Kennedy Administration and transferred to the General Service Administration where it was held until donated to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum by the Estate of President John F. Kennedy in 1965.
Credit LineJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA; Gift of the Estate of President John F. Kennedy
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesGifts from Heads of State (National Archives Identifier 1677008)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedUse Restriction NoteReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view