King Glèlè of Danhomè. Part one, Divination portraits of a lion king and man of iron
Object Details
- Author
- Blier, Suzanne Preston
- Smithsonian Libraries African Art Index Project DSI
- Subject
- Glèlè King of Dahomey
- Essay on King Glèlè of Dahomey whose divination sign was the propitious Abla-Lete, which shaped and defined the arts associated with his reign. His predestined identity is portrayed through the symbols and imagery of the royal arts -- the asen, the personal regalia, the swords and knives, the metal and wood sculptures. These symbols are reiterated in the bas-reliefs on the palace walls in Abomey and later in the Fon appliqués. The lion, above other animals, played an important symbolic role in Glele's royal persona and his reign.
- 1990
- Call number
- N1 .A258
- Type
- Articles
- Smithsonian Libraries
- Topic
- Fon divination
- Kings and rulers
- Lions in African art
- Record ID
- siris_sil_519222
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
