African, Nigeria, Benin Kingdom
Description
Head of an Oba, 1900-1950
Copper alloy
13 1/4 h. x 12" dia.
Copper alloy
13 1/4 h. x 12" dia.
Copper alloy head of an Oba, or King of Benin, wearing a cross-hatched cap and layered strings of coral beads along the neck with a wide-eyed expression, round cheeks, horizontal nose, and rendered lips. Research reveals that members of the Benin Guild of bronzecasters who formerly worked only for Benin Kings began to produce bronze heads for other audiences after the 1897 invasion. Since these were descendants of the same guild that produced the Benin bronzes in the 1897 loot, their products cannot be easily classfied as "inauthentic."
Date
1900-50
Creator
African, Nigeria, Benin Kingdom
Source
Gift of Michael Wasserman
Identifier
2025.009.001
Collection
Citation
African, Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, “African, Nigeria, Benin Kingdom,” UCSB ADA Museum Omeka, accessed December 6, 2025, http://art-collections.museum.ucsb.edu/items/show/17385.