African Art at the
Ralph Proctor Gallery"From the Realm of the Blacksmith"
Head of the Oni
- country: Nigeria
- ethnic group: Ife (Yoruba)
- medium: cast bronze/brass
- size: 12" H x 7" W x 7.5" D
- price: $2,000.
The Ife are said to have originated bronze casting. The heads were created for a different reason than those of the Benin. They were cast as a portrait of a deceased king (Oni). When the king died, a life-size bronze casting was created and attached to a full-size wooden body that was dressed with the Oni's royal garments. The likeness was seated on the throne until the new Oni was crowned. This is a 20th century casting.