Fragment of a pectoral

Description

bronze, part of a plaque with standing figure of a courtier, the arm of the figure once standing to the right partly preserved, metal base;
the attendants of the Oba wore costumes of plaited plant fibre and a headdress with the so-called “oro” projection. Such U-shaped pendants were once worn by the Oba and special dignitaries in groups of three around the waist. Although the weight of bronze triades does not seem to correspond with that kind of usage, in Benin kingdom attire and fittings seem to have been designed with the purpose to verify the physical and psychic toughness of the men wearing them.