Emmanuel Mwamba
The Horn and Balls Gift
Congratulations to President Hakainde Hichilema for a successful tour to Brussels for the African Union and European Union Summit held Brussels, Belgium and for an official visit to the Vatican to meet the Pope.
I was intrigued by the gift given by President Hichilema to the Pope during his official visit to the Vatican on Saturday 19th February 2021.
The gift was two sculpted horns placed on a pedestal decorated with balls and sticks.
I was intrigued by the sculpture of horns as horns have a powerful symbolism both in the Bible and to the Occult.
The Ten Commandments forbade the veneration of graven images. But some limited emblems were used.
Horns are emblems of power, dominion, glory, and fierceness, as they are the chief means of attack and defence with the animals endowed with them.
The occult has always used the horn as a powerful inspiration in painting and sculpture.
In the Bible, the expression “horn of salvation,” applied to Christ, means a salvation of strength, or a strong Saviour ( Luke 1:69 ).
To have the horn “exalted” denotes prosperity and triumph ( Psalms 89:17 Psalms 89:24 ). To “lift up” the horn is to act proudly ( Zechariah 1:21 ).
Trumpets were at first horns perforated at the tip, used for various purposes.
It will be interesting to understand what motivated the artist, the buyer, and the decision to pick it as a gift to the Pope.
The Pope gave President Hichilema a book “La Apartmento Pontificio Dell Udienze”
Couldn’t a choice of an artwork image that symbolize Zambia, its culture and traditions, be an appropriate gift?
Couldn’t a copper gift bearing the map of Zambia and its tourism attraction have been an ideal gift?
Did we have to pick an artwork with unknown meaning as a sovereign gift?
Interesting.
Whats your view?