Great head of Ife (Nigeria)

Oba/ife head, hand-carved, in terracotta, from nigeria. Unique product. Ifé is the ancient royal city of the yorubas in nigeria, on the border with benin, whose peak was reached from the 11th to the 15th century. It is known for the production of heads of kings (oni) in bronze or terracotta, represented with realistic dimensions and features, which is very unusual in africa and had raised questions among the first europeans to discover them. These heads were fixed on top of wooden statues and dressed in their finery during memorial funeral ceremonies to celebrate the deceased kings, then buried near the royal palace.

Ref. : AXTVEAYP