The first section of the installation comprises commemorative heads and figures dating from the 15th through the 19th centuries. One of the most striking works on view, a 16-inch-high statue of an oba from the 17th century, is depicted in the elaborate regalia of the royal court and carries a staff nearly equal to his height. Figure of a King (Oba), 19th century, Edo peoples, Benin Kingdom, Nigeria Copper alloy 41 cm (16 1/8 in.) 85-19-12, gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn to the Smithsonian Institution in 1966 Photograph by Kathy Corday

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