Skip to main content

Visit Main Menu Block

  • Hours & Admission
  • Accessibility & Amenities
  • Tours & Group Visits
  • Visitor Guidelines

Exhibitions and Events Main Menu Block

  • Exhibitions
  • Events

Art and Design Main Menu Block

  • The Collection
  • Projects & Publications
  • Past Exhibitions

Footer Main

  • Become a Member
  • Give
  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Rent the Museum

Image

Z0019324.jpg
Z0019325.jpg
Z0017505.jpg
Previous 1 2 3 / 3 Next

Beninese, West Africa

Head of a king (Oba), probably 1700s

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Beninese

Title

Head of a king (Oba)

Year

probably 1700s

Medium

Bronze

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • bronze

Dimensions

Height: 26.7 x 19.7 x 21.6 cm (10 1/2 x 7 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches)

Place

West Africa; Nigeria

Type

  • Sculpture

Credit

Gift of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich

Object Number

39.054

Projects & Publications

Publications

Manual / Issue 8

Give and Take
Read Online

Selected Works

A Handbook of the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Intermission

December 16, 2016 - July 2, 2017

For centuries, commemorative heads such as this example were assembled in memorial shrines honoring former kings of Benin. These heads were not individualized portraits, but embodied the idea of kingship, honored the achievements of the deceased, and connected the reigning king (or oba) with his ancestors. They also testified to the technical mastery and artistic accomplishment of Benin artists over the ages. A strong tradition of casting continues today in Nigeria’s Benin City.

In 1897, British colonial forces sacked the Benin palace, taking historical heads such as this one and sending the reigning king into exile. The role of the oba was restored in 1914, and since then the display of commemorative heads has continued in the reconstructed royal palace.

European Galleries

This bronze head is an idealized representation of an oba (king) of the Edo people of Benin, West Africa. Made in the same time period as surrounding works of European art in this gallery, this example illustrates the technical mastery of royal Benin artists, who were introduced to lost-wax casting techniques by neighboring Yoruba artists. Metalworking remains an important tradition in this part of Africa today.

Commemorative heads such as this one were commissioned by an incoming oba to honor his departed predecessor, and were placed on ancestral altars in the royal palace. The oba’s high status is indicated by his cap of coral beads and the single cowrie shell placed on the middle of his forehead. Braids and additional beaded
strands frame his face. Above each of his eyes—opened wide to signify that he was all-seeing—are three scarification patterns. A tubular bead collar covers his chin and neck. An elephant tusk, carved using techniques acquired through trade with the Portuguese, once protruded from the hole on top of his head.

The oba possessed political and religious authority and held sweeping powers over his subjects. The official owner of Benin lands and final adjudicator of justice, he oversaw resources and regulated trade with other African kingdoms and with European traders, including the Portuguese and Dutch. During the period in which this sculpture was made, the Benin Empire exerted a powerful presence on the west coast of Africa.

In 1897, following unsuccessful attempts at annexation, British forces sacked the Benin kingdom, burning cities, forcing the reigning king into exile, and looting works of art and other treasures in a campaign known as the Benin Punitive Expedition. Soon after, museums and individuals throughout Europe and the United States began collecting Benin bronzes, including this one.

The RISD Museum recognizes the looted status of this sculpture and has initiated communication with the current Benin oba,

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Head of a king (Oba) with the accession number of 39.054. To request a higher resolution file, please submit an online request.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

RISD Museum

  •  Facebook
  •  Twitter
  •  Instagram
  •  Vimeo
  •  Pinterest
  •  SoundCloud

Footer Main

  • Become a Member
  • Give
  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Rent the Museum

Footer Secondary

  • Image Request
  • Press Office
  • Rent the Museum
  • Terms of Use