This was one of 12 posts that ringed a magnificent palace courtyard. The equestrian figure is an important symbol of prestige and power in Yoruba art. Horses are associated with the cavalry of the neighboring Islamic states in what is now northern Nigeria, where they posed a longtime threat to the Yoruba. Most Yoruba sculptors emphasize the importance of the man over the horse through relative size. This is particularly true of the artist who created this post. Although the artist's name is lost to us, his style, especially the extensive incised geometric patterns, is unique.

This is one of only two published terracotta Oshugbo figures; others are copper alloy.

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