Commemorative head

When a royal heir to the Benin crown succeeds to the throne, his first act is to commission a memorial altar for his father. The new oba is not only responsible for requesting the work from the royal bronze-casting guild, but is actually expected to create it himself, either by pouring the molten bronze into the prepared mold or supervising the process. Obas’ altars are maintained in the palace for generations, and the most powerful obas have altars befitting their reputation and status as revered, semi-divine royal ancestors. Each altarpiece is part of a larger installation of sculpture integrated into the imposing architecture of the royal court.

This commemorative head dates from an early moment in the long tradition of commemorative heads created for such altars. The sculpture reflects an ideal, youthful visage rather than a literal portrait of the king honored.  The young face is carefully modeled. The sensitive handling of the full cheeks, the delicate skin below the eyes, and the firm and smooth forehead suggest an artist interested in closely observing the human form. Yet the face is stylized according to Benin conventions, including a sharp, almost horizontal line at the base of the nose and a neatly curving line for the ear. The figure’s eyes are decisively outlined, and four raised vertical lines above each brow represent the former facial markings of men in the Benin court. The two longer lines in the center of the forehead, once filled with iron, may represent areas where medicines were applied to protect against spiritual misfortune. Some scholars argue that this figure represents a sacrificial victim, a man seized by the Benin armies in their wars of expansion and brought to the palace as an offering to the king and a proof of victory. But the Benin facial markings, and the head’s connection to later examples of this type, make it more likely that he is a member of the court.

This commemorative head would have been placed on the oba's memorial altar as half of a pair, with other pairs radiating out from the center of the display.  Gleaming white ivory tusks rose from the tops of all of the commemorative heads. These tusks, kept bright white with citrus juice, created a strong contrast to the bronze sculptures arranged below.  Together, the tusks, heads, other sculptures, bells and rattle staffs called ukhurhe would have provided a visual tribute to a beloved king.