Africa
Joachim Henne
ca. 1670 - ca. 1700
Medium
ivory
Dimensions
9.8; 2; 3.4
About this artwork
ivory
Art Historical Context
**Africa** by Joachim Henne (ca. 1670–ca. 1700) is a delicate ivory carving, measuring just 9.8 cm high, 3.4 cm wide, and 2 cm deep. Crafted during the late Baroque period, this diminutive sculpture exemplifies the era's fascination with intricate luxury objects, produced for affluent collectors across Europe. Ivory, prized for its smooth, luminous quality and fine carvability, allowed artists like Henne to achieve remarkable detail in compact forms, turning everyday materials into treasures. The title *Africa* suggests an allegorical personification of the continent, a popular motif in 17th-...