A Cock of the Queen mother in the style of Benin, crafted from bronze or brass, features an upright comb, wings and body adorned with leaf-like, singly engraved feathers. Its tail is composed of elegantly curved sickle feathers. The artist employs abstract decorative patterns to suggest the true texture of the rooster.

"The Oba of Benin is predominantly featured in Benin Court Art. His courtiers, chiefs, and guards also feature in alter pieces but they are not depicted in the regal manner in which the Oba is presented. The only royalty depicted majestically as the Oba is the Iya-Oba who is the King’s mother. One of the stately depictions of the Iya-Oba is the Iya-Oba rooster, a tall standing elaborately designed male fowl. To unravel this ironic depiction of the Queen Mother, it is important to understand her personality and position in the royal court.
IYA-OBA Iya-Oba is the traditional title of the Queen Mother. Iya-Oba means “Mother of the King”. This title is not chosen since no one knows from the onset who would bear the first male child of the royal household. However, the Benin people believe that the Iya-Oba is predestined for her role even before she is born and as a result, she can birth the next Oba (Kaplan, 1993).

Usually, the Oba has several wives, but the wife who births the firstborn son of the palace, who is the heir to the throne holds the title Iya-Oba. The mother to the heir apparent, claims this title in the event of the death of the Oba and the coronation of the firstborn. The Iya-Oba is the highest-ranked female in the Benin Empire, and according to Kaplan (1993), “She marks the potential of women for achieved status and power in a system where royalty is ascribed.” The Iya-Oba embodies the possibilities for women to acquire wealth, prestige, influence and even immortality in a patriarchal society.

Her status as the king’s mother undermines certain political hierarchies and makes her the most influential person in the Kingdom. Being able to influence the king’s decisions, she is believed to wield the same powers as senior town chiefs-.

Queen Idia, mother of Oba Esigie was the first Queen to assume the title, Iya Oba. This title may have been given to her by her son, Oba Esigie in the early 16th century (1504 to 1550) to honour her for her contribution to the wars and her outstanding spiritual and personal abilities which she embodied in running the kingdom. In honour of the queen, the Oba built a palace for her at Eguae Iya- Oba, (The palace of the Queen Mother) at Uselu which then, was located outside the city but is now part of the capital. This palace remains the home of Queen Mothers to date”

Source: Museum of Art, Pan Atlantic University

Further reading:
Ezra, K. (1992). Royal art of Benin (1st ed., pp. 85-88).
New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Kaplan, F. (1993). Iyoba, the Queen mother of Benin: Images and ambiguity in gender sex roles in Court Art. Art History, 16(3), 386-407.

sold

Height: 54 cm
Weight: 12,5 kg