Bracelet with Portuguese heads and mudfish
Ìgùn Ẹ́rọ̀nwwọ̀n (brass-casting guild) artists
The oba and chiefs of Benin wear pairs of ornate bracelets at palace festivals. Long and cylindrical, these cufflike ornaments may be made of either ivory or brass and display imagery reflecting the exalted status of their bearers.
On this example, images of mudfish and Portuguese heads--both referring to the king's divine nature and his association with Olokun--alternate following a checkerboard patern around the bracelet.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
