African tradition is doubtless rich in culture, marriage is considered very important among the Yoruba (south-western Nigerian).
A woman who is still single at a marriageable age is seen as ‘crownless’ and does not attract as much respect as her married counterparts.
Husbands are seen as the head/crown of their wives, hence the held belief that the unmarried woman is yet to be a complete personality. Therefore, when a man approaches the house of a woman to seek her hand in marriage, such an act becomes the affair of the whole village. This is evidently shown in the carvings on the plaque. Ritual activities occurred in a yearly cycle at the palace, the heart of Benin; some were conducted in private for the King, others publicly for the general population. Sacrifices in which the king had a large number of animal killed were integral elements of almost all public rituals in Benin. The public slaying of cattle depicted on this relief was considered the highest form of local immolations. A large master of ceremonies draped with bell stand in the middle of this plaque and is in the process of decapitating a cow with sickle-like knife. Five aids pull on the head and legs of the already dead animal, while one very small figure appears at the background. The striking size differential among the figures could be an indication of their respective prominence. The Yoruba traditional marriage ceremony even though a serious affair, is fun filled with rich local music, graceful colors, sumptuous meal and performance of cultural rites which will leave one in total awe.