This is the rating and price for Benin Bronze Leopard Head Hip Ornament

Description : West Africa, present-day Nigeria, Benin culture, 20th century. The people of Benin, known as Bini, descended from the Ife kingdom, also known for their impressive bronze-making techniques. In Benin, bronze and ivory work has always been a royal art, created to honor the king or Oba who has reigned with his ancestors since the 15th century. When the Western world descended upon the Benin kingdom, bronzes such as these surprised the Europeans who were astonished by the sophisticated style and technique of the African artisans. Following a punitive expedition by the British in 1897, their work was brought to Europe and caused quite a sensation. While similar to older works, this example is a twentieth-century piece. This said, the artist used the same technique used at the height of the Benin kingdom, it was sculpted by hand, then cast in bronze by the lost wax process. The leopard's head is a royal icon and bronze leopard heads were worn as hip or waist ornaments by chiefs of all ranks. 6L x 3 3/4W x 4 1/4D Provenance: Ex-Robert Pearson Collection, Denver, CO All items in this auction are legal to buy/sell under U.S. statute covering cultural patrimony per United States Code 2600, CHAPTER 14 -- CONVENTION ON CULTURAL PROPERTY, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
Price: 300.00 USD It's free to register now to view!
Estimate (low-high) : 400 USD-600 USD It's free to register now to view!

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