Uhunmwu Elao (terracotta)

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The commemorative head, known as Uhunmwu Elao, of an Ọba, placed at the king’s ancestral shrine, could be crafted from bronze, wood, or terra-cotta. These heads, integral to the shrine’s altar, are designed to support a carved ivory tusk. The heads might feature either a circular or rectangular base, but they all share a distinctive commonality: a hole at the center specifically intended for inserting the tusk. This central hole underscores the functional and symbolic role of the commemorative heads in the shrine’s structure.

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

High Poly Model Attached in Additional files