Hip mask

This ivory leopard head is an ornament that would have been worn at the left hip, hiding the knot of a senior courtier's wrapper.  The animal's piercing gaze is underscored by the bronze pupils.  These inlaid bronze circles also create the appearance of leopard spots.  The Oba, or king, of Benin supported two royal guilds of artists.  One worked in ivory and wood, and the other was responsible for bronze-casting.  This object may have required collaboration from artists in each guild.  The leopard motif refers to the Oba, who is often compared to a leopard, the king of the forest.