Cock (Altar Figure), 17th century — British Museum

Cast brass altar figure of a rooster (cock), 17th century CE, Kingdom of Benin. Produced by the Igun Eronmwon guild for placement on ancestral altars of Benin chiefs. Seized during the 1897 British Punitive Expedition and transferred to the British Museum. The cock (okhue) is a sacrificial animal and symbol of dawn and royal power in Benin royal ritual.