AFRICAN CROWNS

 

YORUBA
Beaded Crown 62

FIPA
Helmet 6


IRON
Crown 1

Photographs © Tim Hamill

AFRICAN CROWNS

Crowns were obviously signs of rank and status and were most prevelant among the Yoruba of Nigeria. Traditionally, Yoruba crowns were worn by the king, or Oba, in public ceremonies. They were embellished with symbolic designs in beads which were themselves signs of wealth and status. Most of our Yoruba crowns are contemporary and were probably made for sale rather than for use by a king.

There is some merging of usage with other African crowns with helmets, which were largly ceremonial, denoting rank and status, rather than functional in a military sense.

YORUBA
Beaded Crowns
ALL SOLD

GO TO CROWNS ARCHIVES PAGE

GO TO MASKS AND HEADS PAGE

GO TO AFRICAN FIGURES PAGE

GO TO METALWORKS PAGE

GO TO METALWORKS EXHIBITION PAGE

GO TO METALWORKS EXHIBITION PAGE 2

GO TO AFRICAN BEADWORK PAGE

GO TO ARTIFACTS PAGE

 

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