The Oba of Benin

Öba gha tò kpèré...

The Oba(King) of the Binis is perceived as a God-King by his subjects. In times past, the Bini King was held highly as a deity and presided over a large and civilised kingdom spanning great lengths in the west coast of Africa (even into the region known today as Ghana). The Oba of Benin was partly a warrior, a religious head and a hereditary king. He was believed to have the ability to shape-shift into the form of a Leopard at will as he also controlled tamed Leopards around his palace court.

Today, the Oba still holds this position, even though diluted to a great extent, but still effective as the Benin Kingdom has been incorporated into the Nation Nigeria.

This is a small part of a series of illustrations I started on Instagram about various important artifacts I have studied.

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