This arrangement forms a feeling of rotation along the vertical axis. Rude mastered the art of sculpting from lime stone and employed that mastery in 1833-36 in this particular sculpture which is currently publicly displayed on the Arc de Tromphe in Paris (Taylor and Francis Group, 2015)
The Oba head is an art form that was predominant in the 19th Century when Benin residents used this to immortalize their dead kings as a tradition and as a sign of respect. Since these pieces of art were several, as many as the dead kings, they are found scattered across several museums in Nigeria and even some made their way abroad in various art museums (The Metropolitan Museum, 2015)
The smooth texture also conveys the serenity and peace that the deceased had at the time of death and after, giving the living sense of peace in the life to come. This piece of art is can be seen at Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence in Italy (Web Gallery of Art, 2015)