Royal Cephalomorphic Bell “Omo”

Origin: Ijebu-Yoruba Kingdom, Nigeria
Composition: lost wax-cast bronze

Cephalomorphic brass bells were owned by the Olisa (king) and other prominent chiefs in the ancient Yorubaland kingdom of Ijebu, and were used to announce the arrival or prominent persons. They were also worn by these elites during enthronement rites on a sash over the right shoulder, so as to hang on the left hip. Associated with prestige and the transfer of power, each Ijebi king caste a bell for his successor. The designwork on the neck symbolizes the complexity and eternity of the cycle of birth, life, afterlife, and reincarnation (Ref: "Africa: the Art of a Continent").

While some Ijebu-Yoruba bells date back as far as the 16th century A.D., this piece is known to be a 20th century work.