AFRICAN QUINTESSENCE

a gallery of the art of Africans

Queen Mother head (Circa 16th Century)

Known as Queen Mother head (Iyoba), this bust usually graces ancestral altars, just like the bust of decased kings (obas). It depicts the Queen Mother who is usually a powerful political and social entity in her own right. She usually resides in Uselu, outside Benin.

Queen Mother heads typically have the curved, cone shaped headwear which depicts the special coral crown strictly reserved for the highest ranking titled dignitaries.This is a particularly skillfully executed specimen with delicate facial features and a solemn expression.

Excellent patina. 21 inches tall. Thermoluminescence tested .

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