Coronation crown of a Yoruba king
In the complicated hierarchy of the Yoruba, one of the largest of Nigeria’s ethnic populations, the conical coronation crown with a veil of beads is reserved exclusively for the direct descendants of the god Odudduwa. The veil has to hide the king’s face during important ceremonies, in order to prevent his divine gaze from striking his subjects. The okin, the royal bird, on this crown is regarded as a messenger between the divine world and the Earth.
