The Benin ivory mask, one of only five known examples of its kind, had been scheduled for auction at Sotheby’s in February 2011, ... Queen Mother Pendant Mask, Iyoba, ...

The original mask, said to represent Queen Idia, mother of Oba Esigie, who ruled in the 16th century, was worn by Benin Obas as pendant during the Igue religious ceremonies and the Emobo rituals ...

The mask, which depicts the head of the queen mother of the Edo peoples, was due to be auctioned along with five other rare pieces collected from Benin at the same time.

On 17th February 2011, Sotheby’s will sell a rare, newly re-discovered, 16th century ivory pendant mask depicting the head of the Queen mother from the Edo peoples, Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria ...

Benin Kingdom, located in what is now southern Nigeria, was one of the most highly developed states in Africa when it fell in 1897 following the destruction of its capital, Benin City, by the British.

An ivory mask from Benin, exquisitely carved and detailed, remained ensconced in the vast labyrinths of the British Museum. ... The sculpture of Queen Idia, mother of Esigie, ...

The work that left me the most dejected was the Queen Idia mask, an ivory pendant from the 16th century honoring the mother of Oba Esigie, who wore it on his hip during ceremonies.

This 16th century ivory pendant of a Queen Mother probably shows Queen Idia. Around the top of the mask are the carved heads of Portuguese merchants.These are symbols of the kingdom’s power and ...