#18a • Antique Kenyan Hippopotamus Tusk Ivory Arm Ring w/ Stand

Part of June 2026 Curiosities Auction (timed auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $350.00

Status: Sold

Category: Jewelry

A rare late 1800s - early 1900s armlet or arm ring, also known as a lukoso or arbora, worn by the Akamba and Boran peoples of Kenya. It is crafted from four sections of hippopotamus tusk ivory, ground down into flat specimens and joined together by rivets, traditionally made from cow horn, then worn on the upper right arm as a status symbol of bravery and hunting prosperity; it is displayed on a custom-made fitted stand. A known example was collected in 1925 and is on display in the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford, in Oxford, England. This piece has natural hairline fractures commensurate with age. It measures approximately 5" in diameter.