This is a masterwork of the genre; the detailing and rendering of complex features has been carried out exquisitely. The piece depicts a male head (probably that of an Oba) with a reflective and serene expression and downcast eyes. The nose is broad and retrousse, the lips full and sensuous, the eyes almond-shaped, the pupils low-lighted with black pigment. The apex of the mask is marked with a squared coiffure of ornate circles, surmounted by a series of nine bearded faces – intended to represent Portuguese colonials. The chin of the individual is encircled with bands representing a segmented coral necklace (a finer version of that seen in the metal heads designed to hold elephant tusks) and a ruff decorated with a patterned interlinked knotwork design. The forehead bears a pair of dark vertical ovals, with one set of three vertical markings on either side. There are two sets of decorated eminences – one above the ears and another level with the base of the nose – that were intended for suspension from a belt loop. Most of the socially elevated members of the Oba’s court were entitled to wear such pieces on their left hips as part of their stately regalia. It should also be noted that ethnographic and historical reports describe how most of the courtly notables wore metal hip ornaments, but that ivory pieces were worn only by the Oba.