Subject, lion, hyena, Bronze beast from Benin Dahomey Cotonou vintage/antique.

Very beautiful subject in handcrafted bronze from Dahomey, Cotonou, Benin, Africa. A statuette depicting a lion, hyena, or other predator holding prey in its mouth, such as a sheep or antelope. Gilded bronze with a dark/brown patina, uniform and clean. Extremely fine detail work, hand-hammered. Vintage from the 1940s-70s or earlier. In very good overall condition, with a small, discreet chip on the top of the left ear, nothing notable apart from that. This is a very beautiful, intricately crafted piece that will delight lovers of African art.