A commemorative Ọba head, Uhunmwu Elao

 A commemorative head, Uhunmwu Elao, of an Ọba, in the style of Benin, used on the king’s ancestral shrine with an oval base and a hole and at the centre on top an opening, in which once the ivory tusk of an elephant was placed, oxidized iron inlays on the forehead and as pupils in the eyes. layered necklaces of royal coral beads. spike-shaped and tubular beads adorn both the netted cap and slender braids alongside his temples. While representing an individual, the facial features and calm expression are idealized. Remarkable and not mentioned on Digital Benin (DB) this Uhunmwu Elao is a Janus or double face head, which we saw the first time; partly greenish, encrusted oxidations and remnants of laterit.

The meaning of double-headed or Janus-shaped sculptures is interpreted in a similar way in most ethnic groups to this day. These depictions are considered to be particularly powerful because they allow one to see not only forwards but also backwards. Another interpretation says that Janus-headed masks, heads or sculptures give the person depicted the power to see not only into the past but also into the future. In relation to the power of a god-king such as the Oba of Benin, this unique depiction underlines the superhuman ability of the Benin king. wj.

Height: 33.5 cm
Weight: 7.4 kg