Pendant Mask (Uhunmwu-Ẹkuẹ)

"The Idia pendant masks represent a unique moment in African art history—where a mother's political power was literally worn on her son's hip. The Portuguese heads crowning the mask aren't mere decoration; they're a visual contract, demonstrating Benin's ability to harness European trade while maintaining cultural sovereignty."

— Paula Girshick Ben-Amos, The Art of Benin (1995), p. 63.