African medicine container made of horn first half of the 20th century;

African medicine container made of horn „Horn-Fetish“; probably West Africa; first half of the 20th century; Animal horn wrapped with snake leather, fabric and three silver rings; one silver ring is decorated; there was probably a wooden pencil (Stopper) at the top; the object was filled with 'magical' substances; Strong signs of age and wear, beautiful patina; the stopper is missing; at the bottom a hole with strong signs of abrasion; Dimensions: 27 cm; provenance: Estate / collection Gundi and Heinz Scharpf (1940-2018); The famous zookeepers from the Wilhelma zoological and botanical garden in Stuttgart had acquired the African objects during their trips to Cameroon and West Africa in the 1960s and 1970s