Figure of a Horn Blower. Unidentified Edo artist, circa 1504–50. Benin, Edo state, Nigeria. Copper alloy, 24 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 6 in. (62.2 x 21.6 x 15.2 cm). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alastair B. Martin, the Guennol Collection, 55.87
This figure probably stood on an altar dedicated to a deceased king, or oba. His conical hat and elaborately wrapped kilt with a projection on the left side all indicate that this is a court official. The necklace of leopard’s teeth was worn only by warriors. The horn this figure once held is believed to have been a type called an erere, blown during ceremonial sacrifices. A motif on the figure’s kilt depicting an elephant, whose trunk ends in a human right hand, identifies this work with the reign of the oba Esigie, thought to have ruled from 1504 to 1550.
Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum
