Ancestral Commemorative Head (uhunmwun-elao)
Brass heads are among many objects a new Ọba commissions when dedicating a shrine to their predecessor. This head of an Ọba wears layered necklaces of royal coral beads. Tubular beads adorn both the netted cap and slender braids alongside his temples. While representing an individual, his facial features and calm expression are idealized. The thickly cast head once supported a tusk. Immune to corrosion, brass symbolizes royal permanence. A personal religious object, this head sat on an ancestral altar in the Ọba’s palace. Like many works taken from Benin altars, this contrasts with its pres...
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Medium
- Copper alloy and iron
- Dimensions
- overall: height 0.299 m, width 0.216 m, depth 0.204 m
- Department
- African Art
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Dudley P. Allen Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Individual Portrait Both · 94%
The catalog describes the head as representing an individual, while the image presents a single modeled human head with a distinct facial presence.
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Face Visual · 100%
The sculpture is dominated by a clearly modeled human face with eyes, brows, nose, mouth, cheeks, and chin.
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Royalty and Aristocracy Metadata · 98%
The catalog identifies the represented figure as an Ọba and describes royal coral-bead adornment and an ancestral shrine context.
Visual Qualities
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Highly Ornamented Visual · 99%
The cap, side ornaments, braids, and numerous horizontal neck bands produce an exceptionally dense and elaborate surface treatment.
Medium and Techniques
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Sculpture Metadata · 100%
The museum classifies the work as Sculpture; the image shows a freestanding modeled head and neck.
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Intricately Sculpted Visual · 95%
The image shows extensive three-dimensional modeling and small repeated elements in the cap, facial framing, braids, and neck adornment.
Time Periods
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16th Century Art Metadata · 78%
The stated date is possibly the mid-1500s or early 1600s, supporting both a late-sixteenth-century and early-seventeenth-century placement.
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17th Century Art Metadata · 65%
The catalog date range extends into the early 1600s, making the seventeenth century another possible period designation.
Geographic Regions
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African Art Metadata · 100%
The catalog identifies the object as originating in Nigeria’s Benin Kingdom among the Ẹdo peoples and associates it with the Igun Eronmwon royal brasscasters’ guild.
Materials
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Metal Metadata · 100%
The recorded medium is copper alloy and iron; the image also shows a dark, metallic-looking surface.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Benin Art Metadata · 98%
The place of origin is the Benin Kingdom, and the object is associated with Ẹdo artistic traditions and the royal brasscasters’ guild.
Antiquities, Artifacts, and Religious Objects
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Funerary/Commemorative Object Metadata · 98%
The title and catalog description identify the work as an ancestral commemorative head made for a shrine dedicated to a predecessor.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Ancestral Commemorative Head (uhunmwun-elao). Cleveland Museum of Art.