Kola nut container ·  Nigéria, Bénin · ID: 3032192

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.

Littérature comparée

Roberts, Allen F., Animals in African Art, New York 1995, p. 170, ill. 120