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Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igun Eronmwon (royal brasscasters) guild / possibly mid-1500s or early 1600s

Ancestral Commemorative Head (uhunmwun-elao)

The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Ancestral Commemorative Head (uhunmwun-elao) as sculpture (Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igun Eronmwon (royal brasscasters) guild · possibly mid-1500s or early 1600s).

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

The obas (kings) of the Benin Kingdom still wear coral headpieces and jewelry like this sculpted head depicts.

SERENDIPITYA little unexpected

FamiliarWeird

A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this sculpture as Copper alloy and iron.

The museum's collection notes: Brass heads are among many objects a new Ọba commissions when dedicating a shrine to their predecessor. This head of an Ọba wears layered necklaces of royal coral beads. Tubular beads adorn both the netted cap and slender braids alongside his temples. While representing an individual, his facial features and calm expression are idealized. The thickly cast head once supported a tusk. Immune to corrosion, brass symbolizes royal permanence. A personal religious object, this head sat on an ancestral altar in the Ọba’s palace. Like many works taken from Benin altars, this contrasts with its present-day public display in an American museum.

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The Cleveland Museum of ArtAncestral Commemorative Head (uhunmwun-elao)

Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.