Featured Not a Benin Bronze

Does anyone know what to make of this bell? I found it in an op-shop in Sydney, Australia.

It is beautifully cast and "in the style of" a Benin bronze, but quite distinct from all of the Oba that I have seen. The head is not wearing the high turtleneck of the traditional Oba, and the headwear is also stylistically different.

It is beautifully proportioned and appears to have been made by an artist, rather than a craftsman. I am positive it is not made for the tourist trade. It also has a european signature cast in (that I cannot make out) and a number (4) stamped on the bottom.

 

Possibly ... R B Swan?

 

nice find..

 

Almost like a Modernist take on an Oba head, with those stylised facial features.

 

That was my take. I was researching this and when the British originally brought the Benin bronzes back to England, it apparently sparked a cultural moment that influenced artists and designers. I thought this may be an artwork made in Europe around that time.