Circumcision knife handle c. 20th century

This Luba circumcision knife handle, made of ivory, lives at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The surface is so smooth and creamy, almost like touching a river stone, or even better, a human bone! It’s a testament to how much handling this object received, or maybe the skill of the artist who carved it. I love the way the figure is so simplified, with a serene, almost blank face. There's a little hole carved in the side, I wonder if that's where the knife would attach. The bottom of the handle is carved with these horizontal lines that suggest fingers, or maybe the layers of fat on a torso. The simplification reminds me of Brancusi, or maybe even some of the early Cycladic figures. Art's all about an ongoing conversation, a way of taking these ancient things and making them new again, while still having something to say about where we've been.