The art of Benin is the product of an urban royal
court, and is meant to symbolize and to extol the
power, mystique, grandeur, continuity, and
endurance of the ruling dynasty. Benin was
controlled by the Oba, a divine ruler at the head
of the political system. As the office of the Oba
became increasingly ceremonial, the art
produced evolved into an instrument of the state.
Perhaps this politicized phenomenon of the arts
is no better embodied than in the bronze
plaques that once decorated the Oba’s palace.
These plaques depicted scenes of court life as
well as other ceremonial and symbolic events.
However, much more than mere decoration,
these sculpted tiles recorded the history and
traditions of the Benin kingdom where the lack
of a written language could not. Only a select
number of plaques were displayed at any one
time; the rest were stored in a special chamber
of the palace presided over by an appointed
expert who was in charge of interpreting and
arranging the plaques. When disputes broke out
at the court, they were often settled by
consulting the plaques, for no one could argue
with the will of the ancestors as represented by
these bronze works. When the city of Benin was
ransacked by the British punitive expedition in
1897, the soldiers brought the majority of the
plaques back to London as booty. There, the
Western world discovered the amazing artistry
and technical sophistication of these relief
sculptures. Today, these works are appreciated
the world over and have became the most sought
after works of African art. While authentic pieces
rarely come up on the market (and normally
fetch six figures when they do), this bronze
plaque depicting an Oba riding a donkey flanked
by two soldiers is a charming replica that offers
all the beauty and majesty of the originals, if not
the history.
- (PF.6255)
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