This powerful and dramatic piece of ivory carving represents the head of an Oba, a king of the ancient and enigmatic kingdom of Benin. In the eyes of the populace at the time, the Obas were divine beings, and these heads were created after their demise in order to be displayed on altars dedicated to their memory. Until the late 19th century, the Benin centres were a ruling power in Nigeria, dominating trade routes and amassing enormous wealth as the military and economic leaders of their ancient empire. This changed with the appearance of British imperial forces, which coveted the wealth of the royal palaces and found a series of excuses to mount a punitive expedition against the Oba’s forces in 1897. It was only at this point, the moment of destruction, that the true achievements of the Benin polities became apparent to western scholars.
Benin royal palaces comprised a sprawling series of compounds containing accommodation, workshops and public buildings. Over time the buildings pertaining to previous Obas were either partially refurbished or left in favour of newer constructions; this led to a long history of royal rule written in sculptural works that rank among the finest that African cultures have ever produced. Until European advances in the 19th century, they were the finest bronzes that had ever been made. Brass or bronze Oba heads of which this is a rare ivory example were used to honour the memory of a deceased king. Typically, the son of the dead king – the new Oba – would pay tribute to his father by erecting an altar in his memory. These altars, low platforms of mud that were arranged around the perimeter of the royal courtyards, were decorated with various artefacts alluding to the Oba’s achievements in life. These heads were typically arranged in pairs, each supporting an elephant’s tusk that was inserted through the hole in the top of the head. Further decorations included spears, statues, cast brass altars depicting the Oba and his followers, brass bells to awaken the spirits, rattle-staffs (ukhurhe) and magical objects that included Neolithic celts (known as “thunder stones”). The new king would pay homage to his father in this way, guaranteeing the succession and demonstrating the continuity of divine kingship.
Stylistically, the Benin heads follow certain conventions through time, but there are inconsistencies in all typologies. The current piece is comparatively naturalistic and - assuming that we can use the metal heads as a stylistic guide - probably dates to the earlier part of the tradition: the seventeenth to early eighteenth centuries. The fact that it is made of ivory is very unusual; few such pieces are known. This piece depicts a powerful, forceful man of middle years, well nourished and with a glowering expression that is heightened by his badges of authority (the crown and neck rings). What appears to be hair is in fact a beaded crown than hangs as bands down the back and sides of the piece. The apex of the head is missing, to allow the introduction of a tusk. The forehead is prominent, acting as a shelf over the eyes, and decorated with a central double scar indentation and six quadrangular shapes arranged in two groups of three. The eyes are protuberant and angry, looking slightly downwards and framed with a frown that encompasses the whole forehead. The nose is broad and flat, and almost invisible in profile. The mouth is simplistically yet effectively rendered as a pair of protuberant horizontal bands that stands out from the rounded, fleshy cheeks. The ears are small and oval, and sit just anterior to the first vertical band of coral beads. The crown has added elements laterally and frontally, while the whole head sits on a nine-band set of neck rings. Taken as a whole, the piece is remarkably effective, powerful and well-rendered. In this sense it is a true Benin masterwork in that it underscores that polity’s importance to the development of African and even world art traditions. This piece would take pride of place in any serious collection of African art.