This beautiful head testifies to the artistic refinement of the artisans of Benin during the early 20th century, a period of 'renaissance' in the art of Benin after the British...
This beautiful head testifies to the artistic refinement of the artisans of Benin during the early 20th century, a period of 'renaissance' in the art of Benin after the British punitive expedition of 1897. In the early 20th century, under the reign of the Oba Eweka II the Benin Arts and Crafts School was established, providing a new focal point for the transmission of the cultural heritage of the kingdom to new generations and ensuring the survival of the rich artistic traditions of Benin.
The vast majority of Benin’s artworks are designed to honour the achievements and/or memory of the Obas, the divine rulers of the Benin polities. Brass or bronze Oba heads were made 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 arrayed around the perimeter of the royal courtyards, were decorated with various artefacts alluding to the Oba’s achievements in life. In traditional Benin society, the queen mother (Iyoba) is also commemorated in this way, following a edict laid down by Oba Esigie in the early 16th century. The first wife of the Oba to give birth to a live male son receives this title, for in a divine kingship system she is as important as Mary is to Christians, or Amina to Muslims. In social terms, her duties usually include the running of an administrative area for her son. She was thus entitled to wear the exclusive coral-bead crown as shown here. In death, she is honoured in a manner similar to that of her husband/son, with a low mud platform bearing religious and magical paraphernalia, including heads such as the present example. Iyoba heads can be differentiated from those of Obas by the forward-pointing “chickens beak” hairstyle which forms a shape known as the “ede Iyoba”. There are two major types – the thin-walled and delicate type that is usually deemed to be earlier (c. 16th century), and a heavier type with a mouth-high cylindrical beaded collar, as in this case. The face is strongly modelled, with full lips, well-defined eyes and a broad, firm nose. The forehead is scarred with 9 marks indicating status. The head sits on a series of narrow neck rings that come to the mouth. Although it is a relatively recent reinterpretation of an ancient tradition, it is nonetheless a well-executed and impacting piece of African art that would be an entertaining and unusual conversation piece for home or office alike.