Horse head

Framed by an intricate bridle, elaborately styled mane, and ridged forehead plate, this elegantly modeled horse head conveys a regal solemnity. That visual eloquence is a hallmark of terracotta and brass sculptures produced by artists at Ile-Ife, a medieval city-state credited as the source of both Yoruba and Edo divine kingship. Ile-Ife's artisans produced hundreds of human, animal, and otherworldly representations between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries. The horse served as a mount for warriors and rulers, a role underscored in this detailed depiction. The placement of related creations in royal altars and shrines at sites such as Lafogido has been interpreted as a form of visual oríkì (praise poetry) alluding to the power and presence of the ọọ̀ni (monarch).