SUPERB IFE STYLE BENIN BRONZE BUST 16" TALL

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SUPERB IFE STYLE BENIN BRONZE BUST 16" TALL - FEMALE

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SUPERB IFE STYLE BENIN BRONZE BUST 16" TALL - FEMALE

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Sold Date: 09/13/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

BENIN/IFE
ROYAL BUST - BRONZE
NIGERIA
16" TALL

MAJESTIC IFE BRONZE OBA HEAD-NIGERIA.
Fabulous bronze head with a simplicity of design. Shows the influence of the Orient and Mediterranean in this highly developed culture. This commemorative head was most likely the symbol of a sacrosanct ruler, the princess, . The facial features are organically rendered; wears a close fitting cap of bronze decorated with beaded bronze designs on the edges. The casting indicates the high technical skill of its maker. The city of Ife is located in southwestern Nigeria . The Yoruba believe life was created Their belief of Kingship is and, therfore, all of the King's authority is derived from Verdigris patination.. Approximately 40-50 years old
. Estimated value- $600. Ife , Nigeria . Shipping and handling- $25.00. International- - $40.00.
" I TOOK THIS BLURB ROM SOME ONE ELSE LISTING "
IT ALSO LET ME KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN SELLING MY BRONZES AT GREATLY REDUCED PRICES .

The kingdom of Benin came to an abrupt end when the British invaded them in 1897. We also know that thin castings were made before the lucrative slave trade began. This casting is fairly heavy. The rise of the very old kingdom of Ife can be traced back to the 11th century. Their bronze casting skills were well known and it was their craftsmen that, by mutual arrangement, taught the younger Kingdom of Benin the art of casting bronze by what is known as the "Lost Wax Method".The Benin kingdom was founded by the son of an Ife king in the early 14th century AD. The art of bronze casting was introduced around the year 1280. The kingdom reached its maximum size and artistic splendor in the 15th and 16th century. Following the bloody British punitive expedition to Nigeria in 1897, about three thousand brass, ivorie and wooden objects were consigned to the Western world.The numerous brass heads and figures cast by Benin metalworkers were created for the royal palace, w a new oba would dedicate an altar to his predecessor. The majority of everyday Benin objects were made for and associated with court ceremonies. During the British punitive expedition, more than 1,000 brass plaques were appropriated from the oba's palace. Dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, these plaques were secreted in a storage room. It is thought that they were nailed to palace walls and pillars as a form of decoration or as references to protocol. They show the oba in full regalia along with his nobility, warriors and Portuguese traders. The most elaborate ones display a procession of up to nine people, while others depict only fish or birds. Despite the disappearance of the Benin kingdom, the Yoruba people living on its territory continued to produce artwork inspired by the great royal art of Benin .
This is a much sought after collectors piece.

Small terracotta and bronze heads and figures, representing either dignitaries or kings have been found in and around the town of Ife . They date from 12th to the 15th century and display typical face scarifications and naturalistic features. Ife style is reminiscent of that of Benin , which flourished in the 16th century. Despite the disappearance of the people responsible for the ancient Ife art, people leaving on its territory continued to produce artwork inspired by the original masterpieces discovered during archeological excavations. The function of such pieces is far from certain. This bronze clearly represents the head of an oni with crown . It is possible that it was made for attachment to a wooden body, by the hole in the neck, as part of a
funeral rite that marked the passing of the individual king while celebrating the eternity of kingship.

BRONZE WITH green TINTed PATINA.
CONDITION - EXCELLENT
30 - 40 + YEARS OLD

SHIPPING $ 25.00 + USA
INTENATIONAL $ 40.00 +
VALUE $ 600.00 +
COMPARE WITH OTHER BENIN AND
IFE BRONZES AND THEN MAKE YOUR INVESTMENT

*** Please note that all old used Arts will have minor imperfections, chips, ...