Big memorial head of an "oba" ·  Nigéria, Bénin · ID: 3041607

Description

heavy wood, partly covered with metal sheet, remains of pigments, schematized facial features, chin and neck veiled by a broad collar, cap with wing-shaped projection on top, cavity on the back, min. dam., missing parts through insect caused damage, cracks, slight traces of corrosion;
the people of Benin believed that the head of a deceased guides man through life and represents a guarantor for prosperity and well-being of the whole community. The head is the place for thinking, judging, hearing, seeing, speaking and of life as a whole. The kings heads shows common, non-individual facial features, serving as a representation of power and wealth. Versions of terracotta and wood were displayed on ancestor shrines of chiefs and bronze casters, while the heads made of brass were reserved for kings.

Littérature comparée

Roy, Christopher D., Kilengi, Afrikanische Kunst aus der Sammlung Bareiss, München 1997, p. 305, ill. 199