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African Ife Bronze Queen Mother Portrait Head Sculpture Ife and Benin: Ife and Benin were the two ancient African royal cultures. Each left sculptures behind, terra-cotta and sometimes bronze sculptures of Ife dating from 13th century. The owner's extensive research led to the conclusion that this bronze statue was cast at the behest of Oni of Ife during the Great Period of bronze casting. It is believed that it is an actual portrait of the African Queen Mother. The portrait is believed to be Queen Mother "Moremi of Ife." The sculpture was dated by acheometrist Dr. Thomas O. Zeibold in 1976 and determined to be about 700 years old. The procedure used to measure its age is thermoluminescence or "TL." This test measures the amount of cosmic radiation trapped in the quartz, feldspar, and mica of the core since its firing, which effectively set the archaeological clock. The TL test and the fact that the core form is congruent with that of the Great Period establishes the age of the sculpture. Click here to view the results. (PDF format, approximately 388k) The Ife Bronze was verified by radiography at Timonium Laboratories in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ife Queen Mother is considered among the very rarest of African objects of art. First, it is "man-regarding" art rather than "spirit-regarding," as was the preferred genre at the time. Second, this sculpture is believed to have been executed as a unique portrait commissioned by the Oni of Ife, the king, as deification of the sovereign. Third, the Great Period, the era it was created, ended abruptly when all of the bronze casters were put to death by the successor of the well-loved Oni after he uncovered a fraud perpetrated by the bronze casters. The Middle Period began the summer after 1258 A.D. when Ighe Igna was dispatched to the Benin, a vassal state of Ife, to instruct the Beini in lost wax casting. It no longer was an art form reserved for the deification of a sovereign, signaling the end of the Great Period. This bronze sculpture was purchased in 1971 from an experienced, reputable importer. It has been owned continuously since 1971 by the current owner, a former museum curator and owner of a Washington, DC retail shop that imported various art items, a total period of 33 years. This work was on display in a museum in Washington, DC for over four years.
Comparative Sales & Additional Facts The owner's research reveals that a 17th-century Benin Queen Mother sold in 1966 for $966,000 (from the collection of Helena Rubenstein) Assuming just a 10% rate of appreciation for fine art since 1966 and adapting for the fact that the Ife portrait head is worth at least twice the value of a Benin portrait head, a comparable or "adjusted" value or price in year 2004 would be over $72 million. Among other matters, "Moremi" is of particular value because: a) Great Period -- as an artifact of the Great Period--Ife as opposed to Benin--it is rare indeed. b) Documented history -- Ife Queen Mother Moremi. The sculpture celebrates a mother's ultimate sacrifice, the king's mother having put herself to death in testimony to the king's character and in order to assure his impartiality as a ruler. Upon the mother's death, a "Queen Mother" was appointed ceremonially to replace the mother. c) Royal Family -- this is a rare find because most of the existing portrait heads are in the possession the royal family; d) Proof of Age and Authenticity -- With the use of thermoluminescence or "T.L." testing, radiography, and expert opinion, the age and authenticity has been verified. e) Continuous Ownership; Displayed in Museum -- This work has been owed continuously by the present owner for 33 years, has been displayed periodically in a Washington, DC museum and the owner is a former museum curator in good standings with the American Association of Museums. The information set forth above is believed by the owner to be correct. Interested parties are invited to conduct their own research and verify the facts pertinent to this sculpture and its origin and history. No warranties, expressed or implied, are made by the owner or owner’s agent except that a) the owner warrants title to the sculpture and that the owner has owned it continuously since 1976, and b) the owner believes, based on his considerable research and ownership over the years, that the facts set forth here are true. Read more about this piece in a document from the sculpture's owner
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