Commemorative heads (Uhunmwu-Elao)

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Commemorative heads are traditionally placed on ancestral altars and shrines within the Benin Kingdom to honor the deceased. These heads are crafted from various materials, including brass, wood, or terracotta. Brass heads were exclusively cast for the ancestral shrines of past Obas (kings) and, in fewer instances, for the Iy’Oba (Queen Mother). Wooden commemorative heads, often adorned with brass plates, were reserved for titled chiefs. Terracotta heads, on the other hand, were used to decorate the ancestral altars of the Igun-Eronmwon guild of bronze casters, with some of these terracotta heads believed to date back to the Ogiso period, predating the thirteenth century. Notably, these commemorative heads are not realistic portraits but symbolic memorials representing the individual

Source: Oaswaru, Favour. Uhunmwu-Elao, Bronze-cast (lost-wax), Private collection, Benin City.

High Poly Model Attached in Additional files

catalogue Number: CAT3B_024