This carved wooden bust represents a royal figure, likely Oba Esigie of the Benin Kingdom, renowned for his reign during the early 16th century. The figure is adorned with a high, fluted crown—known as the ukpe-okhue—flanked by two projecting forms, a hallmark of Benin royal regalia. The head is encircled by intricately carved coral bead necklaces (odigba), symbolizing the wealth and divine authority of the Oba. The sculpture reflects the stylistic conventions of Benin royal portraiture: idealized facial features, calm expression, and elaborate ornamentation. While traditional royal heads were cast in bronze for ancestral altars, this work is rendered in dense, dark hardwood, showcasing the adaptation of courtly iconography into wood carving—practiced by the Igbesanmwan, the hereditary guild of Benin ivory and wood carvers.

Source: Oweh Art Gallery. Royal figure, Blackwood, Private collection, Benin City.