Head of a Court Official with Coiled Coiffure, Benin Court Style

Crowned busts and ornamented heads celebrate the splendour of courtly regalia: netted beaded caps, towering tiered crowns, coral collars and the ritual marks of rank.

Bronze has long been the language of power in West Africa. Cast by the lost-wax method — in which a model shaped in wax is encased in clay and replaced by molten metal — these works preserve with remarkable fidelity the faces, regalia and ceremonies of the courts that commissioned them.

The hair is rendered as tight rows of coiled tufts that cascade in overlapping tiers around the head, creating a rich sculptural rhythm.

Bold vertical marks of rank appear above the brows, and the large eyes are carved with concentric pupils. Full lips and rounded cheeks give the face a strong presence, while the flared, ribbed collar provides a stable base. Green verdigris blooms across the forehead and temple.