Bronze Head from Ife
7°28′20″N 4°33′20″E / 7.4722°N 4.5556°E
| Bronze Head from Ife | |
|---|---|
The Ife Head on display at the British Museum | |
| Material | "Bronze", actually brass |
| Size | height: 35 cm width: 12.5 cm depth: 15 cm |
| Weight | 5.1 kg |
| Created | 14th/early 15th century |
| Present location | British Museum, London |
| Registration | Af1939,34.1 |
| Culture | Medieval Yoruba |
The Bronze Head from Ife, or Ife Head, is one of eighteen copper alloy sculptures that were unearthed in 1938 at Ife in Nigeria, the religious and royal centre of the Yoruba people. It is believed to represent a king. It was probably made in the 12th-13th century CE. The realism and sophisticated craftsmanship of the objects challenged the dismissive and patronising Western conceptions of African art. The naturalistic features of the Ife heads are unique and the stylistic similarities of these works "suggest that they were made by an individual artist or in a single workshop."