Crowned head of a King.
This sculpture was found in a city called Ife in Nigeria. It is made of Zinc brass and its 24 cm high. This piece clearly portrays a person of status and authority with an elaborate headdress and the fat roles on the neck. The fat shows that the individual depicted could afford to eat on a regular basis and had plenty. Like other sculptures we have seen previously, this culture was most likely accompanied by a wooden body. This would have been used as a mannequin and would have held robes and even the kings crown. This sculpture is quite realistic on how the features been well with the skin. There is one thing that is stylistic and is common from the are this was found. The scarification on the face is unique and stylistic. This was created using the lost form of wax casting. A wax figure would be sculpted, then surrounded by sand and clay. Then it would be baked and the wax would be melted out. After that melted metals were pure in and when it was ready the sand template was broken apart to reveal the metal figure.
Pendant Ivory mask representing Queen Idia
The mask was found in the city of Benin in Nigeria as well. This mask is carved out of ivory. For the locals ivory was a representation of the color white which is a symbol of ritual purity and related with the sea god, Olokun. The mask is an idealized portrait of the queen Idia. The tiara and the color are carved very stylistic and have a Portuguese bearded man and mudfish. The Portuguese man was represented because they were considered denizen of the spirit realm bringing the king power and wealth. The mudfish liv on land and in water representing the kings duel nature as human and divine.
The things that connect these two faces is the high detail and the effort to make them look life like. the way the features blend into the crevices is remarkable for the time and place these were created. The first head is part of a whole body where the second is a head. They are both used for religious and ceremonial purposes which connects them in another aspect. Another difference is the representation that they have. The first head isn’t meant to depict anyone where as the second head is to depict the queen Ida and has representations of mudfish and Portuguese men.
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