Ife Head - 38cm - Benin (No reserve price)

Queen Mother Head in Bronze - IFE - BINI EDO - Benin Bronzes (late 20th century)
Also called Edo, the Bini ethnicity is renowned for its artistic productions that are similar to those of the Yorubas.

The foundry workshops primarily worked for the service of the king (Oba) and the court.
This know-how remains a richness of their cultural heritage.

It is with Ozolua's son, Oba Esigie, who reigned from 1504 to 1550, that the kingdom reached its peak, especially in the fields of arts and culture.
English explorers reported that Esigie could raise an army of twenty thousand men in a single day, and up to one hundred thousand men if necessary.
The title of queen mother was created by Esigie to celebrate his mother, Idia. The oldest queen heads, made of brass and masterpieces of Benin art, date back to this period.

Height 38 cm
Width 19 cm
Very handsome face