The oliphant, or cor d'olifant, is a natural horn usually made from ivory, as its name suggests. According to oral traditions in medieval Europe, the end-blown instruments may have served as signaling devices during hunts or battles. However, most sources describe large and often ornately carved oliphants as symbols of social status, signifying land tenure or wealth. Undoubtedly, they represent an early export of ivory and other precious artifacts from Africa and Eastern countries to the west.
From the trumpeting elephant to a sighing breeze: African variants of the oliphant, made from ivory, horn or wood, are frequently side-blown; you hold the instrument horizontally. Here too they are military signaling devices and ceremonial instruments reflecting social and political status. It is said that a skilled performer can imitate everything from the roar of a lion or elephant to the gentle sound of a breeze.
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