This head was made in memory of a distinguished person from Ife or Benin, known as "General Ekeghugu Ahnekpo." It is the last of the memorial heads that stood in the Obaseki shrine and can be dated to the year 1884. A 2007 TL analysis indicated an age of 100 years (plus or minus 30%), confirming an estimate made in 1989.
Stylistically, this head follows the model of representations of Esigie's warrior father, Oba Ozolua the Conqueror (1481-1504), a legendary figure well-known for his impenetrable iron cloak, which included a rectangular headdress like the one seen here. The facial characteristics of this head, however, are more closely related to the later, more realistic period of casting; furthermore, the head is smaller than most 16 th-century heads.
