Iyoba Pendant Mask
Edo People, Iyoba Pendant Mask, 16th c., Ivory, Iron, Copper
This Ivory mask depicts the Queen Mother of Benin, Idia. Idia is known for using her brilliance to secure her son's position on the throne of Benin. She is described to be steely and ruthless but truly wants what is best for the future of the kingdom. This mask was created to honor her, and despite the name, this mask was not worn on the face and rather was an adornment that would be worn on the hip. It is a work that honors the Queen Mother's power and brilliance that allowed for her own personal gain and also the set up for a strategic alliance.
This mask is a testament to the Queen Mother's power during this point in time in Africa. The fact that such expensive materials were used shows that this woman was a person of significant importance to the History of Benin- and it lines up with the story of Benin at the time. The knots on her head are of Portugese men and mudfish. The mudfish represent the Benin people and the knots symbolizes the strategic alliance between the Benin people and the Portugese. The relationship between the two was primarily through trade- they would give the Portuguese cloth, pepper, ivory, and people and in return, they would be given brass. Brass became a significant part of Benin art; the creation of the ornate brass plaques. This shows that the royalty of Benin had a good relationship with the Portuguese because of this trade relationship they have set up.
It is interesting that this mask depicts the mother of the king/ Oba of Benin, and it was made with luxury materials typically only reserved for kings. Ivory and gold, even today, are hard to come by and show that her position as Queen Mother was valued by the king. After all, it is her actions that allowed him to rise to that position anyway.
What it tells us about the importance of family lines in regards to positions of power is that only a few are fit for these powers because of who their family is. Not just in regards to the blood they have, but the personality traits they possess. Idia's subterfuge is why her son became king, she has power as a person which can mean that that power can translate into positions of political power.
HENI Talks, "Benin ivory mask (Edo peoples)," in Smarthistory, June 17, 2018, accessed February 27, 2021, https://smarthistory.org/ivory-mask-benin/.
Wow! This contained a lot of information! It was very engaging and entertaining to read. You had a lot of information which made this post all the more better! What a very interesting read, good job!
ReplyDeleteI don't really have anything to mention that has to be improved. Maybe have everything spaced a little more? However, the improvements are ones that are simple and easy to fix. Did you have to use more than one source?
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. There was a lot of detailed information that really captured the mask and it's meaning. I agree there that there was a great deal of importance in the bloodline back then. It shows how the family dynamic helped in the position of power. I do not think that anything needs to be improved.
ReplyDeleteI thought you did a great job in addressing all the necessary information that was required. I think it is pretty interesting how they were able to show what Ida accomplished through this mask by using the knots on head to show the Portuguese men and mudfish people. Do you think the King felt obligated to honor his mother in such high regard? Like you mentioned, the materials used were typically used for kings. Or do you think the King genuinely wanted to honor his mother? Great job!
ReplyDelete-Maribel