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Benin head Region/Country: Nigeria Material: Bronze Period: 1920-1930 Condition: In good condition. No Size: Height 32 cm Width 30 cm Beautiful bronze Benin head from Nigeria Very old depicting the head of the king. According to the tradition, it was once the custom in Benin to behead conquered kings and offer their heads to the Oba, who passed it on to the bronze craftsmen. Only the representation of the heads of those who had offered the strongest resistance was cast. When the son of a defeated ruler succeeded to the throne, the Oba sent him a bronze replica of his fathers head, as a warning. Scarification on the forehead would be considered the mark of an outsider. The necklaces of coral beads take on a primordial importance, as symbols of sovereignty. They were reserved to the Oba, the queen-mother and high-ranked dignitaries.
I am not sure where this bronze comes from. I know my father who passed away last year has had him in his collection since I was a young child in the 80's.
