Altar of the Hand of a Queen Mother (Iyoba)

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This Altar of the Hand of an Iyoba is part of the historical collections from the Benin Kingdom, in present-day Nigeria. In 1897, the kingdom was conquered and Oba (king) Ovonramwen banned into exile. The loot from the royal palace was then sold through the art market to finance the conquest in retrospect. Many of these objects today constitute European collections.Addendum: Through its provenance, this Altar of the Hand of an Iyoba can be directly linked with the events of 1897.