Description
Benin Bronze Head Nigeria
– The Benin Empire, which occupied parts of present-day Nigeria
between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries, was very rich in
sculptures of diverse materials, such as iron, bronze, wood, ivory, and terra cotta.
The Oba‘s palace in Benin, the site of production for the royal ancestral altars,
also was the backdrop for an elaborate court ceremonial life in which the Oba,
his warriors, chiefs and titleholders, priests, members of the palace societies
and their constituent guilds, foreign merchants and mercenaries, and numerous
retainers and attendants all took part.
The palace, a vast sprawling
agglomeration of buildings and courtyards, was the setting for hundreds
of rectangular brass plaques whose relief images portray
the persons and events that animated the court.
Benin Bronze and ivory objects had a variety of functions in the ritual and
courtly life of the Kingdom of Benin. They were used principally to
decorate the royal palace, which contained many bronze works.
They were hung on the pillars of the palace by nails punched directly through them.
As a courtly art, their principal objective was to glorify the
Oba—the divine king—and the history of his imperial power or to honor the queen mother.
Art in the Kingdom of Benin took many forms
of which bronze and brass
reliefs and the heads of kings and queen mothers are the best known.
Bronze receptacles, bells, ornaments, jewelry, and ritual objects also
possessed aesthetic qualities and originality, demonstrating the skills of their makers,
although they are often eclipsed by figurative works in bronze and ivory carvings.
The arts and crafts of Africa are amazing
and this stunning Benin Bronze Head Nigeria created using the lost
wax method is no exception and a stunning addition to any decor.
This is a genuine item and highly collectible for the discerning buyer.
