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Benin Kingdom Lost Wax Brass Artifacts

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Royal Hip Ornament
18th Century Hip Pendant, Benin Kingdom

18th Century Hip Pendant, Benin Kingdom

Penn Museum
Figure Caption: Mastery of ritual medicine was a must for a man who wanted to rise in the palace. Rivals tried to incapacitate each other, whether through social embarrassment or total destruction. This 18th century brass hip pendant has an abstract elephant head over its mouth. It symbolizes power, its trunk (ending in a hand) clutching the leaves that are often used to make medicine. Photo: Penn Museum.

Exhibit Information

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