MOWAA Copper Male Dignitary T-Shirt

Title
Copper seated male dignitary Tee

Variant
Daisy yellow

Product details
· Gildan Ultra 100% cotton
· 200gsm heavyweight tee
· Silkscreen printed
· Image on front and text on reverse. 
· Woven label stitched on front
· Proudly printed in Nigeria

Object info
Seated Male Dignitary
Tada artist
Early 14th century
Copper with traces of lead and arsenic
National Museum, Lagos

This seated male figure, believed to represent a dignitary, is an extraordinary testament to the advanced metalworking skills of 14th-century Ife. It was long intertwined with the ritual life of the village of Tada, where it was ceremonially bathed in the Niger River – a practice that has given its surface a distinctive patina. Now part of Nigeria's national collections, this piece not only reflects the spiritual and artistic traditions of its time but also hints at the extensive trade networks that once connected Ife to distant regions, reaching as far as Europe. Its story continues to captivate and inspire, offering a glimpse into a complex and interconnected.