Head of a queen of the kingdom of Ifé in bronze. Superb piece made with the ancestral lost wax technique. Origin Nigeria. Weight: 6,680 kilos.

The Oba of Benin is the ruler of the ancient kingdom of Benin. He has no longer had any real power since the annexation of the kingdom by the British in 1897. However, he retains an advisory role within the government. He also maintains a strong influence on the Edo population for whom he has a semi-divine nature. His palace is in present-day Benin City (Edo State, Nigeria).
The Kingdom of Benin has fascinated Europeans with the exceptional quality of its court art, since the first commercial and artistic exchanges in the 15th century.
Court artists expressed themselves on precious supports, bronze, various copper alloys, ivory, and more rarely iron and wood. Masters of the technique of lost wax casting from the 13th century, they produced works
naturalists of exceptional quality. It was at the dissolution of the kingdom which followed the capture of Benincity in 1897 that approximately two thousand four hundred objects were brought back to Europe by British troops. The presence of this important group on the art market
European aroused the admiration of specialists and keen interest from museums and private collectors impressed by the beauty of these pieces and their importance for the history of West African culture. There
The dispersion of these works during the various auctions encouraged the rediscovery of the royal art of Benin and allowed the creation of important collections in European museums.