This near life-size head has striations incised on its face and lower lips, and has more paint in its surface than the original copper heads from Ife.
With facial features that bear a striking resemblance to those of the pure copper “Obalufon” mask, this head is also made of copper.
However, like several of them, it has a hole in the top that is thought to have held a crown. There are also some holes in the neck that could have been used to attach the head to a base or rings. The paint seems to represent a devotional act.
This is because even today priests of the god, Orisanla, as well as other devotees of Orisanla, are painted with abstract patterns (lines, dots and dashes) on their heads and torsos during the ritual festival in commemoration of Orisanla.