Lower Niger Bronzes: figure
- Gallery: Room 25
- Object type: figure, religious/ritual equipment
- Materials: copper alloy; bronze (?); cane (?)
- Museum number: Af1905,0413.60
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
Before you stands a male figure cast using the ancient lost-wax method in copper alloy. He sits calmly on a low stool, his right hand holding a bow, suggesting a role connected to leadership or ritual. His head is crowned with a triangular-shaped hat, secured by a cane harness, and his body is adorned with a long pendant necklace, matching bracelets at his wrists and ankles. The figure’s detailed clothing and accessories reflect an appreciation for symbolism and ornamentation.
This work comes from the Lower Niger region in southern Nigeria, made before significant European contact, likely before 1500 AD. It belongs to the wider Lower Niger Bronze Industry, a group of objects distinct from nearby traditions like those of Ife or Benin. The figure was once part of a sacred site in Agwut Obolo, belonging to the Obolo people. Objects from this site were acquired by the British in 1904 before being donated to the museum.
See it in person
Lower Niger Bronzes: figure is on display in Room 25 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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