Memorial head of an "oba" ·  Nigeria, Kingdom of Benin, Edo · ID: 3037480

Description

heavy wood, partly encrusted brown patina, schematized facial features, chin and neck veiled by a high collar, a cap with wing-shaped projection on top, cavity on the back, lobes aside, min. dam., cracks, small missing parts, slight traces of abrasion;
the Benin people 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 show 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