Description

Yoruba beaded crown with a figure of a king riding a horse surrounded by

four guardians on the top. The mounted rider is a common theme in Yoruba sculpture, especially from the Ikiti area in northeast Yoruba. Mounted warrior-hunters established a number of kingdoms during the 1700s where the horse was a symbol of rank, position, and authority. These figures wear long traditional beaded tunics over-embroidered with beads.