TERA Gallery - African Art and Antiquities "Altering The Way You View The World Of Art" |
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- Benin Leopard
20th c.
- The extraordinary bronzes of the Benin kingdom in what is now
Nigeria exhibit a virtuosity and sophistication of style that has
astonished the Western world since they were visited in the 15th
century.
The people of Benin, called Bini, are descended from the Ife, also
known for their remarkable bronzes. Almost all Benin art was
created to honor the king , or Oba, who has reigned, with his
ancestors, from the 15th century.
Although similar to many older works, this is a 20th C. piece still
sculpted by hand, then cast in bronze by the lost wax process.
Bronze Leopards, a royal icon, were often used as royal water
vessels. Water was poured from the mouth over the Oba's hands
in cleansing rituals. They were kept on royal altars.
- The figures of a leopard was the sole property of the oba – the
leopard was the royal animal in the Benin kingdom. Tradition
maintained that one day as the king (oba) Ewuare was sleeping
underneath a tree, a leopard lying on one of its upper branches
dripped blood down on him. On waking Ewuare killed the leopard
and began a yearly tradition of sacrificing leopards to promote
royal destiny. The danger and quickness of the leopard served as
a potent metaphor for royal power. Benin kings were often
referred to as “leopards of the house.”
Leopard teeth and pelts were given by Benin monarchs to
important chiefs and military leaders under their command. The
live leopards participated in some ceremonial processions
headed by the King. The king was riding surrounded by
musicians, warriors, deaf people and dwarfs who were present to
entertain the king. Tame leopards led on chain were making part
of these processions.
- The Benin kingdom was founded by the son of an Ife king in the
early 14th century AD. The art of bronze casting was introduced
around the year 1280. The kingdom reached its maximum size
and artistic splendor in the 15th and 16th century. Following the
bloody British punitive expedition to Nigeria in 1897, about three
thousand brass, ivory and wooden objects were consigned to the
Western world.
- The numerous brass heads and figures cast by Benin
metalworkers were created for the royal palace, where a new oba
would dedicate an altar to his predecessor. The heads were
placed on the altars of kings, of brass caster corporation chiefs
and dignitaries. Occasionally, a brass head was surmounted by a
carved ivory tusk engraved with a procession of different obas.
The altar functioned as a tribute to the deceased and a point of
contact with his spirit. Using the bells and rattle stuffs to call the
ancestor’s spirit, the oba offered sacrifices to him and to the earth
on the altar. The majority of figures represented court officials,
equestrian figures, queens, and roosters. Despite the
disappearance of the Benin kingdom, the Yoruba people living on
its territory continued to produce artwork inspired by the great
royal art of Benin.
Ethnic Group:
- Benin Kingom
- Nigeria
Material:
- Bronze
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