The Manchester Museum at the University of Manchester is currently hosting a display that offers an insight into the Ife kingdom.

Ife was a powerful city-state in west Africa that enjoyed political, cultural and economic prosperity between the 12th and 15th centuries.

Today, the kingdom is thought to be the ancestral home of the Yoruba people.

The display at the Manchester Museum features a sculpture of a head that is thought to represent one of the kings of Ife.

On tour from the British Museum, the item was made between the 12th and 14th centuries.

Stephen Terence Welsh, curator of living cultures at the Manchester Museum, said: "This exquisite brass sculpture was one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, it revolutionised the way academics and artists interpreted Africa.

"It is an iconic example of Yoruba artistry and engineering."

Manchester hotel guests will be able to see the sculpture until February 14th next year, at which time it will return to the British Museum.

Book your stay at the Copthorne Hotel Manchester

 

16/12/2009