Queen Mother Head Sculpture

Item number Af485 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Cast bronze, hollow female head. Tall curved conical cap with an uneven crisscross pattern. Small raised crosses with rods extending from the centre at extreme top, at forehead, sides and rear. Three raised scarring dots above each eyebrow. Hair in rows falls below cap. Raised ears, nose, and mouth. Sunken eyes with incised pupils and lashes. Rings around neck. Small base with incised edges. Unpolished dark brown surface.

History Of Use

Heads figures were created to commemorate the dead. Different materials represented different types of individuals being commemorated. Bronze heads were produced by the royal guild of bronze casters, and they were made for a member of the court. The memorial head tradition became significant in the 16th century, and over time they became more stylistic and elaborate. This type of bronze figure portrays queen mothers of the Benin royal family. Referred to as Iyoba – Queen Mother – these memorials are one of the few historical depictions of women in Benin. Iyoba as representation emerged when Queen Idia, the mother of Oba (King) Esigie who ruled 1504–1550, defended her position as a member of the royal court. She began a tradition of queen mothers being memorialized through commemorative bronze castings for ancestral veneration

Cultural Context

Commemorative reproduction.

Iconographic Meaning

This figure has depictions of coral beads which typically adorn court officials. Historically, only the Oba had the authority to grant permission to others to wear coral beads. According to oral history, during the 13th and 14th centuries, Oba Ewuare I was believed to have defeated the water goddess Olokun in a fight. She then gifted him corals from the river and told him to give them to his chiefs. Corals are still worn in Benin City today, however it is a common part of attire worn among many ethnic groups in the region. In royal ceremonies, coral beads are still significant.

Specific Techniques

Made with the cire-perdue or lost-wax method. The mould is made of beeswax, covered with clay, and then fired. The wax melts and the hollow clay cast is then filled with scraps of copper-based alloy, before being fired for a second time. XRF analysis suggests the piece is made of leaded gunmetal (also called 'red brass' - a bronze alloy) with a high bismuth content.