AMICO Sample Records

Full view: MIA_.1533c.tif

Ife (Yoruba) Female Portrait Head, 12th century - 14th century H.12 x W.5-3/4 x D.7 in. terra-cotta Context: Between the 12th and 14th centuries, the royal city of Ife, in present-day Nigeria, was a center of religious and political power, and its importance was reflected in a highly developed and distinctive sculptural style. Portrait heads modeled in terra-cotta or bronze stood on royal shrines in the palace compound. This head, recently acquired by The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, probably represents a woman of the royal court. The delicate lines on her face show a pattern of scarification, the cutting of designs into the skin to mark identity or status. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA No. 95.84 The John R. Van Derlip Fund Index terms Sculpture View catalog record in data dictionary format View catalog record in output format View metadata record in data dictionary format View metadata record in output format Return to the AMICO Examples page

Last modified on  October 16, 2001