Liberia – Ivory Coast
Dan (also called Gio or Yakuba)

Ankole-Watusi Cattle Horn, Wood, Hide
20th Century
Height: 35 in (on stand)
Aerophone – Lip-Vibrated

A Dan Janus trumpet made from an Ankole-Watusi cattle horn.  This large cattle horn supports a carved wooden Janus form with two faces, a male and a female on top, plus an extended carved wooden mouthpiece attached to the side of the horn where a hole has been punctured in the horn for the player to buzz their lips in and create the sounds.

Dan’s societal structure is deeply interconnected with their spiritual beliefs, emphasizing family lineages, secret societies, and initiation rituals. There are many purposes for African horn instruments including musical expression, communication, and as seen here, for ritualistic practices, revealed by the mouthpiece on the side and the wooden carved janus heads on top.  Within this ritual and ceremonial contexts are functions such as announcing events, summoning spirits, or marking social status.

Today, horns are a recognized decorative and symbolic element, representing spiritual authority, protection, and ancestral connection.