Royal Portrait Head of Oba
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| Royal portrait head of Oba |
An Undiminished Tradition
In the Kingdom of Benin, West Africa, a long standing tradition was transformed out of respect for the most powerful animal on earth – the elephant. Previously, when royalty passed on and entered the “world of the divine,” a bronze commemorative head was placed on an altar and an elephant tusk was inserted into a large hole in the top. The tusk linked the power of the person to the power of the elephant; and although such a display was understandable from a symbolic and cultural point of view, in the modern world it came to be considered neither good for the elephant nor the royal legacy of the person captured in bronze.
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| Royal portrait head made from terra cotta rather than bronze |
This week’s New Arrival features a monumental portrait head from the Kingdom of Benin. The tradition of creating portrait heads goes as far back as the 15th century when metal casters were tasked with illustrating departed kings and queens with a tusk meant to be the crowning touch. However, as the 20th century unfolded the use of tusks was dropped, and heads were fashioned from terra cotta as opposed to bronze. The veneration of royalty adapted to the times, and considering the size of this head – nearly five times larger than its human counterpart – the power it personified was multiplied as this tradition transformed.
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