Jaguar Head, Benin, Edo; 16th - 18th Century

Ivory jaguar head.
Edo tribe (Benin / Nigeria) Between the 16th century and the 18th century.

Source galerie-art-africain.com: "This zoomorphic head refers to the rich symbolism attached to the leopard, king of the bush. This object also embodies the qualities that the Oba must possess. In the kingdom of Benin, the killing of the king of animals associated with legends, the leopard, was the privilege of the chief, the Oba. The feline could then serve as an offering for the cult of the chief's head. Sometimes tamed by various royal guilds, it accompanied the chief during his travels. The Oba, called "child of the leopard of the house", could also offer the teeth or the skin to commanders whose loyalty was evident. The rich iconography of Benin is therefore full of references to this animal. Before the destruction of the palace of the kingdom of Benin in 1897, the divine character of the kings, the Oba, was illustrated by multiple works celebrating their power. War scenes were reproduced on narrative plaques, in bronze, and affixed to the walls. Sumptuous bronze altars, commemorative figures of deceased chiefs, heavy bracelets, anklets and recades were produced in quantity in many foundry workshops using the lost-wax casting technique."