We recorded the story of the Bova of Benin, but the tape was so bad I could not transcribe it.  So, I don't have the history on this figure yet, and could not find anything in my books either. 

As soon as we can get the story from Owie, I will update this page. 

We had asked Owie to make five unique masks for us, of which this is one.  The amount of detail in the ceremonial beadwork is wonderful.  The beads were most likley in Agate, or coral, representing a person of high standing in the Benin and Yoruba cultures.   Carefully carved from black ebony this substantial mid sized piece stands about 19 inches tall, and weighs over 8 pounds.  It can stand on its own, or be hung on a wall.

All carvings are coated with a wax in order to moderate the humidity changes of the wood.  Most typical a clear, black, or brown wax polish is used, depending upon the effect the artist desires.  This piece was polished using a black wax, then the smooth parts were sanded to provide a lighter and smoother look to those parts.  The color is permanent, but will lighten somewhat over time.

The black ebony is really a light gray color, with darker to black streaks and features in the wood.  You can see this grain coming through very clearly in the face of this mask.  Its really striking, isn't it.