_The Power of Mothers
_Pendant Mask, The Benin people of Nigeria, 16th Century. Ivory, iron, copper. H. 9 3/8 x W. 5 x D. 3 1/4" (23.8 x 12.7 x 8.3 cm). The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Gift of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1972.
This mask was carved from iron and coated in ivory. It has an elongated, oval shape, with almond shaped eyes and a nose that juts downward. The face seems to be in the middle of an intense, thoughtful gaze as it looks toward the ground. Two vertical, parallel bars run down its forehead, ending between the eyelids. The outer edges of the head are lined with little figures that represent mudfish and the Portuguese, who were considered visitors from the spirit realm who provided wealth and power to the oba, or king of Benin. This specific pendant mask represents the mother of the Benin oba of the early 16th century, Oba Esigie. The mask was worn by the Oba to commemorate his mother, Idia, during rites. The mudfish, since they are able to survive on land and water, symbolize the dual power of the oba as he traverses both this realm and the otherworld. This pendant mask represents the power of the oba and is loaded with symbols that collectively give the Benin king unlimited power and reach. All of this power is funneled through the likeness of the king’s mother, which ties into the importance and significance of the power of mothers in Nigeria and other African societies.
This mask was carved from iron and coated in ivory. It has an elongated, oval shape, with almond shaped eyes and a nose that juts downward. The face seems to be in the middle of an intense, thoughtful gaze as it looks toward the ground. Two vertical, parallel bars run down its forehead, ending between the eyelids. The outer edges of the head are lined with little figures that represent mudfish and the Portuguese, who were considered visitors from the spirit realm who provided wealth and power to the oba, or king of Benin. This specific pendant mask represents the mother of the Benin oba of the early 16th century, Oba Esigie. The mask was worn by the Oba to commemorate his mother, Idia, during rites. The mudfish, since they are able to survive on land and water, symbolize the dual power of the oba as he traverses both this realm and the otherworld. This pendant mask represents the power of the oba and is loaded with symbols that collectively give the Benin king unlimited power and reach. All of this power is funneled through the likeness of the king’s mother, which ties into the importance and significance of the power of mothers in Nigeria and other African societies.