This striking piece of art is a sacred king's crown from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Africa. This piece is unique among Yoruba crowns for its all-over white colored beads. It features birds and Orisha (God's) faces.
The interior is lined with pink, gold, tan, and white striped cotton cloth.
From tip to base, it is 23" tall, or 35" with the veil beaded srtings. It is 10" wide at the base.
Some history from AfricaDirect.com's website: "The right to wear crowns is limited to approximately fifty Yoruba kings. Theoretically, only direct descendants of one of the sixteen children of the god ORISHA, first king of the Yoruba people, can wear them. ORISHA blessed mankind with the use of beads, and their use is restricted to those whose spiritual powers enable them to move across the boundary that separates men from gods, the secular from the sacred. The crown itself is worshipped. It is placed upon the king's head from behind, usually by the senior wife, because he may not look upon the bird which goes on the top, which holds powerful medicines to protect him and his destiny. The veil is to keep viewers from seeing the king's face, masking his individuality, and also focusing attention on the real focus of power, the crown. The bird on the top symbolizes the fact that the king rules 'only with the support of the mothers.' ...Crowns are called orisha (deity) and is the object of care and veneration by a woman at court."
