Four carved scarification marks, a number associated with females, indicate her gender. The ruling kings (oba) of benin would order heads cast in brass or bronze to commemorate their mothers This head of an iyoba dates from the eighteenth century
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While its high collar and pierced crown place it with later examples, the sensitive, naturalistic modeling of the face is reminiscent of the earliest commemorative heads.
With its high and narrow collar, extensive hair ornament, and pierced crown, this commemorative head of an iyoba dates from the eighteenth or nineteenth century.
This outstanding brass head of a queen mother (iyoba) is from the nigerian kingdom of benin This piece has been dated to the 16th and early 18th centuries and is typical of the time. She is depicted wearing a peaked headdress of coral beads to show her special status The iyoba was given her own court with its own chiefs at a place called uselu outside the old boundaries of the city of benin.
