Ceremonial box

This narrow, rectangular wood box was likely used to contain sacrificial offerings, medicines, kola nuts, and other small gifts during festivals and court ceremonies in Owo. Such prestigious containers may be carved in wood or ivory and often feature imagery which emphasizes the history and authority of the ọlọ́wọ̀ (king). In this example, a high-relief carving of a female figure, whose legs have been replaced by a curving tail with a ribbed side-fin, likely depicts Ólókùn, the goddess of the sea and the provider of earthly wealth. Such creations were the possessions of high-status individuals, including chiefs, titleholders, and the ọlọ́wọ̀. The prominent depiction of Ólókùn aligned the owner of this box with the ọ́bà of Benin and the foundation of the preceding Ife Empire. Ólókùn was the senior wife of Odùduwà, Ile-Ife's first divine king, from whom the leaders of Owo and Benin trace their lineage. Related vessels were produced in the Kingdom of Benin by the Omada guild, responsible for wood and coconut-shell carving.