Pythons 553A plaque showing the gateway to the palace of the Oba of Benin.Two soldiers with shields flanked by two pages stand guard.The
columns of heads may themselves be plaques,while the python on the roof tiles is a messenger of Olokun,the sea god,
protecting the palace of his earthly counterpart,the Oba.Benin,Nigeria,early 17th century.
Source: Werner Forman/Art Resource, New York.