There are objects that strike you as something special the moment you buy them, and then, following laboratory analysis, prove to be a minor sensation. A work of art unlike anything you have seen before.

A rare female bust, extremely expressive. A young woman wearing a coral cap. A ring adorns her forehead. The necklace and arm jewellery are also made of large corals or pearls, which frame a woven fabric on her chest.

One might speculate that the reason for its creation is that it is a realistic, individual portrait. This contrasts with the bronze commemorative heads of the Ife culture, which are likely idealised.

Also striking is the detailed depiction of the neck and back, with the finely rendered knot of the necklace.