An Edo Altarpiece Rooster, "opka" Lot n° 28

Altar object, rooster, "opka". Edo, Nigeria ohne Sockel / without base Yellow cast iron. H 56 cm. Provenance: French private collection. Thermoluminescence age determination : 400 years (+/- 20%). The rooster, the classic sacrificial animal par excellence, is one of the most impressive animal representations of the Edo Empire. Symbolically, it belongs to the totems of the royal family, and especially to those of the queen-mother. As one of the most important women in the Edo Empire, the king's mother had the same authority as male village elders, and it is therefore not surprising that such a masculine symbol as the rooster was used in her honor. Cast in bronze, it stands on her personal altar where it was regularly worshipped and sacrifices were made to it. Further reading: Plankensteiner, Barbara / Brandl-Straka, Ursula (2007). Benin. Kings and rituals. Gent: Snoeck Publishers. Page 398. CHF 20 000 / 30 000 EUR 20 000 / 30 000