A superb Benin Leopard hip mask, Nigeria

cast from a copper alloy in the lost wax technique, of hollowed form, the stylized leopard head with pointed teeth and upturned whiskers in rayed formation on each cheek, the curved nose bisecting the almond-shaped eyes with iron inlay beneath the leaf-like ears, the whole decorated with incised circle motif; fine softly-worn surface.

Christie's, South Kensington, June 28, 1988, lot 83 (cover lot)
Acquired at the above auction

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, African Art and Leadership, April 13 - August 29, 1989

Good condition overall; minor casting flaw on the left side of the nose and top of the head; surface polished, older patina partially removed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In a letter to Milton and Frieda Rosenthal (July 4, 1988, copy on file with Sotheby's) William Fagg, the renowned scholar on Benin art (cf., e.g., Fagg 1963, passim), dated this head into the "Early Period" of Benin art, which corresponds to the 15th and mid-16th centuries. He substantiated his dating as follows: "some of the pieces which are attributed to the Early Period (before 1525) with some degree of certainty [are]: the Ata of Idah's great human mask in the palace at Idah (see Dark 1973: pl. 69); the nine or ten male heads called rolled-collar heads (e.g. Sainsbury 1978: fig. 134); the Vienna dwarfs
(Fagg 1963: [pp.] 46-47) and the four famous early Queen Mother heads (Lagos, Liverpool, British Museum and Berlin).

"It is widely accepted that these great artists who cast the superb bronzes [...] just mentioned lived in [...] the Early Period [...]. The reign of Esigye (c[a]. 1505 - c[a]. 1550) would have been ideal [for these artists to flourish]. During his reign the Kingdom of Benin was extended to the frontiers of the present day Benin (Dahomey) in the west just beyond the Niger in the east; from the Atlantic in the south to the Nupe in the North. The influence of the arrival of the Portuguese (in Gwato from 1470, Benin from 1486) was being felt; a fundamental change occurred from what we might call the 'ethnographical' attitude to a European concept of art.

"In brief this leopard seems undoubtedly to stem from the 'stable' of the two great leopards of Lagos. It is notably larger than any of the other hip masks and the presumption could be easily enough associated with the great King Esigye."