Page 75 - Highlights of the Collection

Commemorative head
of an Oba

Nigeria, ancient kingdom of Benin, 1800-50
H. 51 cm, bronze

Trophy heads made of bronze are common forms of
art from the Kingdom of Benin. Placed on altars in the
palace of the ruler, the oba, they represented royal
ancestors, not in the form of realistic portraits, but as
a materialisation of the royal figure of divine origin,
with the head seen as the seat of wisdom. Produced
using the lost-wax technique, the trophy heads were
Highlights of the Collection
generally used to support decorated elephant tusks,
explaining the presence of a cavity on the top of
the head.

Louvre Abu Dhabi

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