Benin 10 03 11 Edo describes people and language occasionally used to describes nation state itself art mainly from Benin city impacting all of other people around them bronze casting may have been introduced to Benin from Ife began brass casting in late 14th century a little later than Ife Ife and Benin do human sacrifice of captured people lots of wealth built on slavery Vessel in the shape of leopard cast brass Obas king associated power with leopard brass casting in Benin 1 2 used exclusively by Oba metal s shiny surface and color were considered beautiful and threatening Made to 1 2 commemorate divine king honor ancestry themes that celebrate war document court life Benin was at its height with conflict with kingship lull in 17th century Benin kings still exist power is symbolic and they make decisions in community Equestrian Figure symbolic of the power of the ruler intro of horses came from Ife represents interrelationship of kingdoms crown very high status individual British raid Benin and everything from royal palace is confiscated objects are sold on European market carved elephant tusk each one told a story with the images they contained great documentation three walls encircling city similar to Ile Ife Benin city administrative and religious center of Benin Oba king is focal point of city Portuguese commission influenced by European patronage coral bead regalia brought by Portuguese from Mediterranean considered spiritually charged objects related Olokun God of the Sea thought that the Portuguese since they were white they were associated with Olokun coral worn primarily by the Oba Plaque depicting an Oba holding leopards with mudfish legs distinctively decorated and dressed holding two leopards by the tail proving he is leopard of the house Obas power over the leopard four leaf plant quatrefoil in background reference to Olokun God of the Sea shows how king is the ruler of all domains fish for legs mudfish can survive in land for little electric sting he can tame the leopards of the forest and the mudfish of the sea complete control land sea divine super human strength of Oba holes at top hold up the plaque no pattern is random here all has meaning Plaque with warrior chief warriors and attendants warriors wear a necklace of leopard teeth great expression of archaical proportion warrior chief at center high status indicated by beaded cap studded with coral wears high coral collar two men to the side of him still have high relief not as high as warrior chief different head gear each hold shield main chief holds sword in right hand shows loyalty to Oba Plaque with warriors and attendants standing under verandah four men two completely naked hold circular fans warriors protect doorway two modeled images of leopards indicate royal space roof of verandah shingled emphasis to separate entrance by background detail different from the quatrefoil background of the whole plaque Plaques 1 lost wax cast 2 modeled in high relief project outward nearly 3D tend to be square formation 3 frontal look straight out at us 4 5 6 after generation only the king owns that brass objects Benin 10 5 11 high archaical proportion the most important figure is the largest figures shows the arrangement of the court as well shows ceremonial events and power of the Oba artisans were revered lived inside second wall show high status men made the brass guilds of artisans generation guilds are workshops artisan community live close to royals high status artisans ancestral alter alter semi circle made of clay cast brass heads all along the alter alters dedicated to past obas of Benin brass cast heads responsibility of new king to build alter to commemorate his father brass heads carved ivory tusks are inserted into heads contain historical narrative rattles and bells alert ancestral spirits charged spiritual space Male head Brass with iron inlay not portrait of king parallel iron bars on eyebrow three for men and four for women or foreigners symbolic of kings power of war thought to be a captured person has four earliest style type early form relies on more naturalist form overtime the beaded collar just comes around the neck thin walled smaller Commemorative head of an Oba brass beaded regalia and crown no marks on the eyes crown covers the brows shift in objects appearance later works beaded regalia comes all the way up to the lip move from an idealized naturalism to a much more abstract form Commemorative head of an Oba brass last head style much heavier larger collar with round bases often with symbolic animals coral bead regalia horn forms on either side of the crown three marks above brow indicating male abstraction less focus on portraiture more on power and majesty of the king queen mothers had very high status heads show similar shifts in style Iyoba queen mother symbolic and historical place in hierarchy supernatural powers refined political skill went to war with son Idia women with a lot of power queen mother could offer protection did negotiation for the king between palace and town chiefs never had contact with Oba her son once he takes power communicate only through messenger commemorative head of queen mother chicken beak hairstyle four marks on brow indicate gender alter of the hand Ikegobo more of an individual other alter represents more of a legacy heavier new style commemorative head of queen mother had some coral bead regalia beads came form mediterranean considered a luxury traded for salt ivory slaves arrow like form of the nose no space to put tusk in these heads unlike Oba two kinds of objects 1 alter to be placed on an alter exceptional individuals hand is associated with productivity and action hand is the source of wealth status and success you could commission these in wood terracotta brass if you were a man semicircular carved or cast in high relief 3 elements top scene middle scene bottom images top has oba in center of two people two attendants on either side and leopards in middle another image of Oba as a warrior king holds stone axe and staff bottom two fists with hand facing outwards and leopard and ram kingly power king is powerful leader Plaque of an Oba and two Europeans Brass portuguese wanted to convert africans western weapons and coral traded Oba at center he is seated on throne biggest figure on plaque holds axe in hand can give punishment quatrefoil on background small figures of Portuguese in background different depicted with long hair and helmet white