A wooden sculpture representing the head of either a warrior chief or an emissary from the ancient Kingdom of Benin, open at the back and partially covered with copper leaf. This type of head is part of a corpus whose tradition dates back to the 16th century and continues until the end of the 19th century. These heads were placed on altars and, in some cases, served as a pedestal for a carved elephant tusk. The lines carved in relief on the underside of the head represent the superimposed coral bead necklaces worn by the Oba or other high-ranking figures, with stylized feathers on either side. Former Kingdom of Benin, Nigeria 19th century Wood, copper, accidents and numerous visible chips, significant oxidation of the wood and copper, erosion and old patina. H. Height : 33 cm Provenance : Jacques Kerchache, Paris Private collection, Paris, acquired from him before 1968