Description
This brass head was commissioned by a newly crowned king for an altar commemorating a previous ruler, most likely the king’s father. Its shape imitates the regal coral-beaded collar and cap and served as the pedestal for a carved elephant tusk, the white color of which signaled the king’s divine and sacred nature. In Benin thought, the head is an important symbol of authority and power. Through this portrait a king channeled his deified ancestors to vitalize and protect his reign.
Provenance
Oba Ovonramwen (r. 1888-97, died 1914), Benin City, Kingdom of Benin, before 1897; probably taken during the British military raid. Dr. Hans Meyer (died 1929), Leipzig, Germany, 1900 [receipt from Jacques Seligmann and Company; in curatorial file]; by descent to his wife, Mrs. Hans Meyer, 1929; sold to Jacques Seligmann and Company, New York, 1933; sold to Mrs. George W. Crawford (born Annie Laurie; later Mrs. Russell B. Aitken starting in 1957; died 1984), 1940; by descent to her husband, Russell B. Aitken, 1984; sold, Christie’s, New York, April 3, 2003, lot 62, to the Art Institute of Chicago.
Accession Number
180750
Medium
Brass
Dimensions
34.3 × 23.5 × 26.1 cm (13 1/2 × 9 1/4 × 10 1/4 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Credit Line
Major Acquisitions Centennial Endowment
