Head of an Oba in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 2010

Title: Head of an Oba

Date: 19th century

Culture: Edo peoples

Geography: Nigeria, Court of Benin

Medium: Brass

Dimensions: H. 13 x Diam. 11 1/4 in. (33 x 28.6 cm)

Classification: Metal-Sculpture

Credit Line: Bequest of Alice K. Bache, 1977

Accession Number: 1977.187.37


Description:

In honoring the royal ancestors, the cast-brass heads refer to the special role of the head in directing not only the body but also a person's success in life. Taken further, the welfare of the entire kingdom depends upon the king's head, which is itself the object of worship. The placement of brass heads on the ancestral altar is a vivid reminder of the oba's role in successfully guiding the kingdom throughout his reign.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/arts_o...