Queen Amina Statue

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Queen Amina Statue
Queen Amina Statue.jpg
Queen Amina Statue at the entrance of the National Arts Theatre in Lagos
ArtistBen Ekanem
Year1975 (1975)
Type Sculpture
Medium Concrete
Bronze
ConditionErect
Location Lagos, Nigeria

Queen Amina Statue is an equestrian statue in honour of Queen Amina, an Hausa Warrior Queen of Zazzau. [1] The sculpture was originally designed by Ben Ekanem in 1975 during the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture and was placed at the entrance of the National Arts Theatre in Lagos State. [2] It was destroyed in 2005 due to weathering but was however re-designed in 2014 by an unsigned artist. [3]

Contents

Background

Queen Amina was the eldest daughter of Queen Bakwa Turunku, founder of the Zazzau Kingdom. She was a fierce Hausa Warrior Queen of Zazzau who reigned around the early 16th century. [4] She was a fearless warrior. She was born in 1533 and was a trained warrior who was said to have great strength as a man. [5] She was often described as a woman as capable as a man. [6]

The Queen Amina Statue was designed in memory of her bravery and exploits. [7] She ruled for thirty-four years and died in 1610. [8]

Description

Queen Amina Statue is a colossal bronze and concrete sculpture. It shows Queen Amina proudly brandishing her sword while riding on a standing horse. [9]

Achievements of Queen Amina

Queen Amina achieved the following:

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References

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