[1][2] Historians are uncertain as regards her period of life; they do know that Idia was alive during the Idah war[3] (1515 – 1516) because she played a role that led to a great Benin victory.

To that end, she raised an army to fight off his brother Arhuaran, who was supposed to be the Oba by right and tradition but who was subsequently defeated in battle.

[2] As a result, Idia’s parents helped prepare her for her future life in the palace by giving her certain medical herbs.

[2] [2] Although, the only reason Aruanran did not assassinate his brother was because he knew that Esigie’s mother, Idia, had the skill of magical arts, while Aruahan did not.

[2] There have been many representations of Queen Idia because she represented a key part of Benin's imperial courtly culture.

[7] Queen Idia became more popular in contemporary Nigeria when it was decided that her face should be used as a sculpture to represent a Nigerian Festival, FESTAC ‘77.

[8] Subsequently, the neighboring Igala people sent warriors across the River Niger to wrest control of Benin's northern territories.

His mother Idia received much of the credit for these victories[9] as her political counsel, together with her magical powers and medicinal knowledge, were viewed as critical elements of Esigie's success on the battlefield.

[12] The brass heads were made using the lost wax casting technique in the early sixteenth century.

[14] The image located at the British Museum is a realistic representation of a young woman from the Benin court, who wears a high pointed ukpe-okhue crown of lattice-shaped red coral beads.

[13] Queen Idia played an instrumental role in her son's successful military campaigns against neighboring tribes and factions.

[2] Obas paid homage to the queen mothers by wearing carved ivory pendant masks of the Iyoba to ward off bad spirits.

[18] The function of these ivory masks was to commemorate Iyoba Idia, and the piece was to appear at an altar dedicated to her.

[2] Historians are able to identify that it is indeed Queen Idia depicted in these masks because of the two parallel lines down her forehead between her eyebrows, represented here with two pieces of inlaid iron.

[2] The two parallel lines down Queen Idia's face were caused by her parents because they did not want her to become Oba Ozolua's wife.

[2] This in the end did not work to repel Oba Ozolua: he sensed that something was wrong with Idia, but was quick enough to realize that she had been scarred and poisoned, so he was able to neutralize the medicine.

[19] Also, along the crown of the mask there are the air-breathing mudfish, Clarias anguillaris, which lived on both land and in the sea, representing the duality of the oba's humanity and godhood.