A high crested headdress crowns this sculpture
of a Benin Oba, having a triangular base
decorated with six incised squares and edged in
plaited braids. The upper portion is a thick
curved braid attached to the base by five
“spokes.” Two braids hang down the back of the
head and along the sides of the face, which split
at the bottom into two sections. The simulation
of beaded work and woven fiber is characteristic
of Benin bronzes, beautifully representing the
ceremonial ornamentation of the Obas. The face
has sunken eyes, an open mouth revealing teeth,
and scarification in the form of six raised
cicatrices on the forehead. When a new Oba is
crowned, one of his first acts is to commission a
bronze head of his father to place on the family
altar. This is a way of paying homage and
making a connection with the spirit of the former
king though a beautiful work of art.
- (PF.5418)
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