A superb Benin ivory leopard’s mask, Nigeria, 17th century

Height x width x depth: 16.5 x 10.5 x 5.2 cm. Weight: 640 g

elephant ivory carving (Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 or Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797) depicting a leopard’s head, a ceremonial costume ornament from the royal court of Benin, now incorporated within the modern Republic of Nigeria.
This ornament was traditionally worn singly on the left side to adorn the closure of a sarong.

The surface of the leopard’s face, covered with small copper rosettes to represent leopard spots, the slanted eyes bordered in copper, whiskers depicted as a pair of “tridents” on either side of the nose, and leaf-shaped ears are characteristic elements of Edo leopard sculptures. Two suspension rings are present on the back.
These masks, mostly depicting human or leopard faces, were given by the Oba to chiefs during their installation and were tied over the crossing of the skirt at the left hip. While chiefs of all ranks wore a bronze pendant mask on the left hip, those made of ivory were exclusively for the Oba.
Bronze or ivory heads, figures, and masks from Benin, human or animal, can be divided into those made before or after about 1775. The distinguishing criterion is the presence, in later ones, of hatched eye borders; deviation from this “rule” is extremely rare until the British invasion of Benin in 1897.
This mask, therefore, most likely belongs to the earliest known phase of Benin craftsmanship, dating before 1775.

Tradition recounts that when Oba Ewuare (around the mid-15th century) was in exile, he slept under a tree and, in the morning, found a leopard on a branch above him. Ewuare took the leopard as a sign of future good fortune and vowed that if he became king, he would sacrifice a leopard every year to his head, symbolizing his luck and power. Leopards hold a special place in Benin symbolism, where the sacrifice of the leopard represents triumph over the wild; the Oba, as king of settled land, demonstrates his power over the leopard, king of the untamed land.
There was a guild dedicated to capturing leopards, and a leopard face on cloth was intended to instill fear.
The royal art of Benin, which honors the Oba and his ancestors, mainly consists of cast brass works and carved ivory. Traditional Edo art includes sculptures, plaques, and masks that reflect various spiritual and historical aspects of their rich cultural tradition. Some of the most notable Edo art pieces are known as the Benin Bronzes.
Benin art became known to Europeans in 1897, after the looting and pillaging of Benin by a British punitive expedition sent that year to punish the Oba for the killing of a British vice-consul. The British force, under the command of Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, exiled the then-Oba Ovonramwen, taking control of the area to establish the British colony of Nigeria. Under the pretext of covering the expedition's costs, the royal art of Benin was stolen and auctioned off by the British.

This lot, accompanied by a CITES certificate and expertise issued by Ce.S.Ar Centro studi archeometici, is only available for sale with shipments within the European Union.