Antelope horn with human jaw bone, Nigeria, 1880-1910

Antelope horn, bound with cotton cuffs, surmounted by human jaw bone (lower mandible), long wooden peg through top, used by "powerful" medicine man, Nigerian, 1880-1910

At the time Henry Wellcome purchased this antelope horn at auction in 1932, it was reported to have been used by a ‘powerful medicine man’ in Nigeria to heal and ward off disease. The human jaw bone wired to the horn was said to increase the power of the amulet.