Nigeria: An ivory pendant mask depicting the iyoba (queen mother) Idia (16th century), Benin Empire, 16th century

Nigeria: An ivory pendant mask depicting the iyoba (queen mother) Idia (16th century), Benin Empire, 16th century.

Idia was the mother of Esigie (r. 1504-1550), the Oba (king) of the Benin Empire. She played a critical part in the rise and reign of her son, being described as a great warrior who fought tirelessly before and during her son's rule.

The Kingdom of Benin, also called the Edo Kingdom and the Benin Empire, was a kingdom in West Africa in what is now southern Nigeria; it is not to be confused with the modern nation of Benin. The Kingdom of Benin's capital was Edo, now known as Benin City in Nigeria's Edo state. The Benin Kingdom was 'one of the oldest and most highly developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa', and was formed around the 11th century CE, lasting until its annexation by the British Empire in 1897.

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Pictures From History

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WOMEN IN HISTORY