Seated figure of medicine man, or healer. Scarification marks on cheeks- signifying that the person is a citizen of the Benin Kingdom. Holding Ezuzu fan- symbol of power. Seated on stool decorated with faces.
This is a modern copy made, using the traditional method, to sell to tourists.
Figures like this one would have been placed on 'ancestral' altars in the Royal Palace in Ancient Benin. These altars would allow people to communicate with ancestral spirits and show their respect. This figure is a modern copy for tourists.