




| Institution field | Value |
|---|---|
Registration number object id | Af1898,0115.144 |
Additional IDs object id | 157 (Foreign Office number) |
PRN object id | EAF26566 |
Object Type designation | plaque |
Description description | Relief plaque, lost-wax cast in brass. Wide plaque, rectangular in form with side flanges. Background surface decorated with river leaf patterns and stippling. Three (?) nail holes along top right and centre, partial hole at top left. Depicts three standing figures, facing front, each holding vessel in both hands. Figure on right holds handled cup with projections, central figure holds shallow bowl, figure on left holds small handled jug. Figures have tiered hairstyles with coils of plaited hair on either side of heads. Wear short beaded collars, two beaded necklaces, armlets, anklets, and patterned wrap-around skirts. |
Ethnic name (made by) ethnic attribution | Edo |
Date | 16thC-17thC |
Production place production place | Made in: Benin City |
Findspot place collected | Found/Acquired: Benin City |
Materials material | brass |
Technique production technique | lost-wax cast |
Dimensions dimensions | Height: 45.00 cm~Width: 36.00 cm~Depth: 13.00 cm |
Curator’s comments provenance | The relief brass plaques that used to decorate the Oba's (king's) palace are among the most well-known of all the royal arts of Benin. Although frequently described as 'Benin Bronzes' most plaques are made of leaded brass in various compositions. It is widely accepted that they date to the 16th-17th centuries. In the years prior to the British Expedition royal influence in Benin was increasingly under threat from rival powers, both internal and external, with a focus on economic power and control of the important trading monopolies. However, the court and palace remained the political and spiritual centre of the Benin Kingdom. Earlier accounts written by Europeans visiting the city describe its size and scale. The palace complex was set up around atrium courtyards; some had galleries with wooden pillars supporting the roof. Brass plaques, probably made in matching pairs, were fixed to these pillars. The Benin brass plaques represent a distinct and unique corpus of work, unparalleled elsewhere on the continent. They are cast using the cire perdue (lost wax) technique and show significant variation in the depth of the relief. Some of the plaques portray historical events or commemorate successful wars, while others are a vivid depiction of Benin court life and ritual. Several groups of plaques show clear stylistic similarities. William B. Fagg suggested that these plaques represent the work of master brass casters. Fagg, William, 1973, 'Nigerian Images', London: Lund Humphries Gunsch, Kathryn, 2018, 'Benin plaques: a 16th century imperial monument', London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group ; Read & Dalton 1899: Three figures with the hair dressed in overlapping layers, and with spiral coils at the sides, as in Af1898,0115.13 They are bare to the waist and wear loin-cloths. They wear anklets resembling the armlets of Af1898,0115.66. Each holds with both hands a vessel of a different shape, one a small jug, another a shallow bowl, the third a vessel with two handles and two projections. |
Bibliographic references bibliography | Gunsch 2018: ~Read & Dalton 1899: pl XXVIII.2 |
Exhibition history exhibition history | Exhibited: 1970-1973, London, Museum of Mankind, Divine Kingship in Africa 1991 Feb-Apr, Norwich, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Man and Metal in Ancient Nigeria |
Condition condition | Fair; missing top left corner. Entire bottom edge missing sections; bottom left side missing. Hole at top of plaque above central figure's head. |
Subjects iconography | palace/mansion |
Associated events event | Associated Event: British Expedition to Benin City - Feb 1897 |
Acquisition name (acquisition) provenance | Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs |
Acquisition date accession date | 1898 |
Acquisition notes (excavation) provenance | This plaque was looted during the British Expedition to Benin City in 1897. |
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