NIGERIAN EDO PEOPLE OBA HORNBLOWER. Patinated bronze figure of a hornblower. The figure depicts one of the retinue of the Oba (king) of Benin sounding a side-blown horn. Such statues might have been found on altars in the Benin royal court which were dedicated to the Oba's ancestors. The hornblower is depicted wearing a kilt decorated with a leopard face mask and coral around his neck. The leopard is a symbol of the king's power. The hornblower's role was to herald the arrival of the Oba during public processions. - Height: 26.5 inches; Width: 14.25 inches. Estimate $700-1,000
