The representations of Queen Idia comprise a group of commemorative heads from medieval
Benin that represents Queen Idia, mother of
Oba Esigie (r. 1504-1550), made during the early sixteenth century at the Benin court. The representations of Queen Idia discussed here include the Bronze Head of Queen Idia (
British Museum in London), a pendant ivory mask of Queen Idia (
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York), and finally an ivory mask of Queen Idia (
British Museum in London). Several artistic representations of Idia were looted from
Benin City during the
British Benin Expedition of 1897 and are now held in museums around the world. Alongside other
Benin Bronzes, they have been the subject of calls for their repatriation. A
Queen Idia ivory mask held in the British Museum became the symbol of the
Second World Black and African Festival of Art and Culture FESTAC held in Nigeria in 1977. In
Eddie Ugbomah's 1979 film
The Mask, the Nigerian hero steals a Queen Idia mask back from the
British Museum.
Brass heads The Brass Heads of Queen Idia are a group of four commemorative brass heads from medieval
Benin that represents Idia, mother of
Oba Esigie, made during the early sixteenth century at the Benin court. the
World Museum in Liverpool (accession number 27.11.99.8.), the
Nigerian National Museum in Lagos, and the
Ethnological Museum of Berlin. It is important to note that although these are commonly called "Bronze Heads" because the composition of metalwork from Benin were initially thought to be
bronze, and were only later identified as
brass; therefore a more accurate description is the "Brass Heads" of Queen Idia. When Oba Esigie commissioned these brass heads to be made and placed in Idia's memorial palace, he ensured that they had these incisions in order to honor how Idia came to be the first Iyoba of Benin. These two ivory masks are almost identical to the each other, and both of these masks were made around the
16th century. The Benin ivory mask is about nine inches tall and five inches wide. Ivory masks were usually carved freehanded with a
chisel and a file without a design to follow. Obas paid homage to the queen mothers by wearing carved ivory pendant masks of the
Iyoba to ward off bad spirits. The function of these ivory masks was to commemorate
Iyoba Idia, and the piece was to appear at an
altar dedicated to her. Also, Oba Esigie wore these masks during
ceremonies. They were commissioned by
Oba Esigie, her son. Historians are able to identify that it is indeed Queen Idia depicted in these masks because of the two parallel lines down her forehead between her eyebrows, represented here with two pieces of inlaid iron. Some have thought that the two parallel lines down Idia's face were thought to be where she held her magical powers; however, there is an alternate explanation for this. The two parallel lines down Queen Idia's face were caused by her parents because they did not want her to become
Oba Ozolua's wife. They were advised in an
oracle that they needed to scar her face to make her less beautiful so that Ozolua would not marry her. Also, her parents had medicinal potions placed within her scars by the divine
physician in Benin. These medicinal potions were to assure that Oba
Ozolua would stay away. This in the end did not work to repel Oba Ozolua: he sensed that something was wrong with Idia, but was quick enough to realize that she had been scarred and
poisoned, so he was able to neutralize the medicine. The
crown on both of the ivory masks of Idia displays
Portuguese soldiers. To the Benin culture, the Portuguese arrival from the seas with great amounts of wealth made them people of the spirit realm who came to bring wealth and power to the oba. This depiction shows the importance of the presence of the European soldiers. The white of the ivory represents purity and is associated with the god of the sea,
Olokun. Olokun's wealth and fertility is the counterpart to the oba.
Ivory became Benin's main commerce commodity following the arrival of Portuguese traders who bought ivory in Benin. Also, along the crown of the mask there are the air-breathing mudfish,
Clarias anguillaris, which lived on both land and in the sea, representing the duality of the oba's humanity and godhood. Overall, the
crown represents both the human and the
divine. The Benin ivory mask of Queen Idia illustrates Benin's culture and also represents Queen Idia's formidable character. These masks are also important as an illustration of the physical appearance and presence of Queen Idia. The only significant variation between the two masks is the differently designed collars: The Benin ivory mask has an intricate pattern as a collar, while the pendant ivory mask has the design of Portuguese soldiers. The Benin ivory mask is in better condition in comparison to the pendant ivory mask. File:Idia_mask_BM_Af1910_5-13_1.jpg|alt=Idia, ivory mask, Kingdom of Benin, British Museum|Benin ivory mask representing Idia, the court of Benin, 16th century (
British Museum, London) File: Miniaturmaske, Edo.jpg|Benin ivory mask, with
coral beads, representing Idia, the court of Benin, 16th century (
Linden Museum, Stuttgart) == See also ==