Kola nut container · Nigeria, Benin · ID: 3032192
sold
EUR 550
Provenance
Emil Maetzel, Hamburg, GermanySize
H: 12,5 cm
L: 17 cm
H: 4.9 inch
L: 6.7 inch
Description
light brown wood, brown patina, in form of a leopard’s head with visible teeth and carved dots, min. dam., slight traces of abrasion;
the leopard symbolizes the total harmony between two forces: menace and temperance, attributes an ideal leader (oba) should have. Like the Oba, the leopard has the privilege of a leader, the “right to kill” so he stands above life.
Comparing literature
Roberts, Allen F., Animals in African Art, New York 1995, p. 170, ill. 120