Head of a Queen Mother at The British Museum, London

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Queen Idia, mother of Oba Esigie, king of Benin from the late 15th to the early 16th century, led her son's military campaigns against the Igala people with great strategic influence. Her goal may have been total control over the Niger waterway, but Benin ultimately emerged victorious and made the Igala king a subordinate ruler under Oba Esigie's authority. Meanwhile, Oba Esigie was engaged in an internal power struggle with his brother Arhuaran, who sought to establish Udo as the new capital city. However, Oba Esigie remained firmly entrenched in Benin City and rallied its people against his brother's ambitions. Ultimately, Oba Esigie emerged victorious and forced Arhuaran's brass casters back to their duties at Benin. After Queen Idia's passing, her son commissioned a magnificent bronze head in her honor, which was placed in an altar as a testament to her remarkable military prowess and spiritual powers. This tradition would later be established by Oba Esigie as the "Queen Mother" title, with bronze heads being cast in her likeness for all generations of queens to come. These iconic statues were prominently displayed throughout the palace complex and at the Queen Mother's residence. This exquisite object is part of a groundbreaking digital archive called "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative spearheaded by MyMiniFactory. This remarkable collection aims to make fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the world freely accessible to everyone. The Scan The World project is an open-source community effort, welcoming contributions from individuals with interesting objects they'd like to share. If you have a unique item that would be perfect for this digital archive, simply email stw@myminifactory.com to learn more about how you can participate. The object was scanned using photogrammetry and processed using Agisoft PhotoScan software, allowing us to create an incredibly detailed 3D model of the original artwork.