The Iyoba Pendant.
A hand-sculpted portrait of Queen Mother Idia — the warrior Iyoba of the Benin Kingdom — on natural stone beads. Each piece is finished by hand. No two are alike.
What is the Iyoba Pendant?
The Iyoba Pendant is a necklace centered on a small hand-cast or hand-carved portrait of Queen Mother Idia, the 16th-century Iyoba of Benin. The portrait sits on a strand of natural stone beads — obsidian and lava stone in the black colorway, tiger eye in the gold, red coral in the Edo colorway.
Every piece is made in Benin City, inside the guild tradition that has produced Benin bronze and ivory for a thousand years. These are not replicas and not souvenirs; they are small contemporary works made by craftspeople who inherited the technique directly.
Available colorways
- Obsidian — matte onyx, lava stone, hematite. The ceremonial piece. $79.
- Gold / Tiger Eye — hand-cast brass face, tiger eye and lava stone beads. $49.
- Edo Color — red coral and mixed stone, by Luvv by Bella. $129.
How to wear it
The pendant is substantial but not heavy — designed to sit at the sternum, visible over a tee or against the collar of a shirt. The dark colorway reads as ceremonial jewelry; the gold reads as daily wear. The Edo coral is a statement piece.
