Head of Oba at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich
Head of Oba at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich
3D
Published 2015-01-02T11:52:03+00:00
Each new king (Oba) of the Nigerian kingdom of Benin commemorated his father with a portrait cast in brass, made by professional craftsmen of the brass fraternity.
This head is thought to have been made for the funeral of the warrior king Ozolua, performed by his son Esigye in 1505, or at the funeral of Esigye himself in 1551.
Despite being a depiction of an individual this type of commemorative portrait is a highly stylised. The beaded headdress and collar represent the Oba’s coral regalia. The coral would have come from Mediterranean and was a symbol of great wealth and status.
This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.
Sculpture is hollow!
| Date published | 02/01/2015 |
| Time to do | 1200 - 1260 minutes |
| Material Quantity | 157g |
| Dimensions | 112.16 x 125.00 x 122.61 |
| Complexity | Medium |
| Title | Head of Oba |
| Place | Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts |
