A very rare Horse Reliquary skull from the Igbo-Izzi peoples of Nigeria, Africa.To the Igbo peoples, horses were especially precious sacrificial animals which only the wealthy elite could afford.During a ceremony which was held for support of the so-called "horse title", the ritual horse ride was followed by the killing of the animal. The horse skull, a sign of the high rank of its owner, was attached to the walls of the men's meeting house or placed on an altar to the ancestors. The Skull of a horse has been wrapped in basketry and has a heavy organic substance applied. The Skull measures 22 inches long x 16 inches tall.

Fair, weathered and worn.