Coronation crown of a Yoruba king

In the complicated hierarchy of the Yoruba, one of Nigeria's largest ethnic populations, the conical coronation crown with a veil of beads belongs exclusively to the direct descendants of the god Odudduwa. The veil is supposed to hide the king's face during important ceremonies to prevent his divine gaze from striking his subjects. The okin, the royal bird, on this crown is considered a messenger between the divine world and the earth.