Oba Olateru Olagbegi II, the Olowo of Owo, seated beneath carved ivory
tusks, Owo, Nigeria (1959). The high value placed on ivory goes back to
antiquity and is reflected in mythical accounts of Orunmila's preference
for and association with it. Because ivory was such a precious
resource, and the preferred material for denoting the status of Kings, Chiefs, warriors, and diviners, elephant tusks were a commodity
controlled by a powerful elite. Within Owo's sphere of influence,
elephant hunters retained only one tusk out of every pair of tusks and
were required to present the other to the Olowo (the King of Owo).
Courtesy: Nairaland
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