Description of the visual elements in the Queen Mother Pendant Mask
Both articles, African Art and the Effects of European Contact and Colonization and Queen Mother Pendant Mask are very visible. They have an artistic perspective that is not only decorative but communicative and has a deeper meaning to it. The Queen Mother Pendant Mask is a historical piece of art that not only communicates how historical art is being embraced but also communicates the historical position of the queen as a societal crown and at a personal level.
The expectation in society is that a queen ought to be strong, authoritative, and pursue things with a lot of precision. Her gaze, which is intensified by the rims of the eyes and the iron inlays for the pupils, communicates authority and inner strength (Clarke, 2016). The arrangement of the queen’s hair to form a tiara represents her crown and position as a queen. Otherwise, there would be no other way to identify her position as the queen without the crown/tiara. The white faces that represent the Portuguese explorers collecting ivory in Benin. This represents luxury in the kingdom, as it was a major commercial commodity.
The visual elements in the mask remain to be a cultural depiction of Oba, a community she was part of (Klemm, 2018). On a personal level, the queen mother was a sophisticated, stylish, intelligent, authoritative, and influential person who, aside from what the mask depicts, was a very critical advisor to the son. Regardless of being of the female gender, her role in leading and in politics is as well recognized and embraced. The Queen Mother Pendant Mask is today a piece of art to commemorate great history. Similar pendants are also worn in purification ceremonies as the white color of ivory symbolized ritual purity.