An Ijebu brass couple, Nigeria. 19th / early 20th century. 20"h w/ out base. The TL test can be emailed upon request.

Ijebu was a Yoruba kingdom in pre-colonial Nigeria. It formed around the fifteenth century. The kingdom was one of the most developed in the region with a complex and highly organized government. The state rose in power in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries mainly due to its important position on the trade routes between Lagos and Ibadan. The Ijebu kingdom was governed by a king and his group of elders, who usually were men of a higher status and of considerable influence. The council governed the region and had representatives of further devolved councils who no longer have any power. The elders were known to represent their various villages and the will of the people and are now not such a significant part in the ceremonial process. The elders were all given individual titles and the lead elder was given the title prince, although he was never to inherit the kingship, except in special circumstances. (Partially excerpted from Wikipedia)These brass figures were most probably, if they were used in a ceremonial context, placed in a shrine paying homage to past rulers and in some cases deities such as Onile (Mother Earth).These objects were cast by the lost wax method meaning that at one point there easily could have been some of the clay core remaining inside which could be tested. The bases on this couple are glued to each figure so at the moment there is no access to what may or may not be remaining of the core to verify the Kotalla labs thermoluminescent test results. So we offer the data unsubstantiated for your consideration.

In most cases the date is a 20th century attribution, an indication of stylistic origin and not a exact date of creation. Unless stated in the description stands in photographs do not come with all items.