Benin Clans were ruled by a King which was known as the Oba. The people of Benin are called Bini and are descended from the Ife peoples. The making of these Benin bronzes were strictly considered court art and were made exclusively for the palace of the Oba and were designed to venerate the achievements and memories of the Obas and their Queens also called Queen Mothers who ruled through out the time of the kingdom. The metal working craftsmen were very talented and used complex wax casting techniques which were far ahead of their time. Their work in bronze, copper and iron was extremely refined and their methods of metal smelting, forging and lost wax methods exceeded any seen. By using the lost-wax casting very intricate works can be achieved with this method, depending on the carver's skills. This figure portrays an image of an African Doctor.