Edo Iron Standing Monkey

The monkey wears a cap. Of course he does.

Animal imagery runs throughout Benin’s long casting tradition, carried on by the city’s guild of metalworkers. This small cast monkey was made by the Edo peoples in Nigeria during the 20th century. He is just over three inches tall, standing on straight legs with ringed ankles, hands drawn up to his chest. The head is broad, with round eyes, a protruding muzzle and rounded ears beneath a banded cap. A thick collar circles the neck. The patina is dark and smooth, touched with green in the hollows.

Good manners, good hat. He will fit in anywhere.