Reliquary figure (Byeri), Fang-Ntumu or Fang-Ngumba (Cameroon), 19th or 20th century, wood, brass / Enthroned Mother of God (Sedes Sapientiae), Presbyter Martinus, Tuscany (Italy), poplar wood with original mount, acquired in 1887 in Florence © Staatliche...
The Benin Bronzes is the name given to a group of artifacts produced by the Benin Empire, which occupied the area which is today Nigeria. The Benin Bronzes consist of several thousand commemorative plaques and sculptures that were made of brass of variable composition (despite being called ‘bronzes’).
What does art tell us about the kingdom of Benin? Learn about animals in Benin art and how brass statues were made in this BBC Bitesize year 5/6 KS2 History guide.
Explore the British Museum collection and journey through two million years of human history.
Asian and Black history in Britain, 1500-1850. This resource has been archived as the interactive parts no longer work. You can still use the rest of it for information, tasks or research. Please note that it has not been updated since its creation in 2004. Go to Black presence You can find more content […]
Almost all the news out of Africa seems to be disaster reporting of one sort or another. We, who are not Africans, tend to see the place as a continent full of calamities. Those of us of the Episcopalian and Anglican persuasion see Nigeria in terms of sometimes violent tribal and sectarian tensions, Western corporate exploitation, corruption, email fraud schemes, and lingering post colonial resentments. Perhaps it is time to take a different look at Nigeria, a very ancient country with an old and rich culture that had a great impact on cultures in the New World. Here is just a small sampling. Nok Culture circa 300 - 100 BC One of the earliest known cultures of Nigeria is the Nok culture, named by archaeologists after a town near the excavation site. Little survives of this culture beyond terracotta figures like those illustrated below found in river flood deposits. Scholars speculate that they could be based on sculptures in more perishable wood. Very little is known about this culture. There are other cultures from the same region and time period that are just beginning to become known to archaeologists and scholars. But the political and military situation in so much of west Africa makes field work difficult to impossible. The Kingdom of Ife circa 1000 - 1500 The city of Ife plays a very large role in Yoruba mythology. The world began in Ife, and the gods taught humankind the civilizing arts and crafts there. In 1938, archaeologists digging near the compound of the Oni (king) of Ife found a series of brass and terra cotta heads of astonishing naturalism and idealized form. These are assumed by most scholars to be portraits of rulers, though very idealized. They are all shown in the prime of life with an aura of calm detached self-possession. The lines on some of them may portray tatoos or scarification. Ife portraits are still surfacing. This terracotta head was found at a site called Obalara in 1971. The Kingdom of Benin, 1440 - 1897 The city of Benin was the center of a great empire built on trade. By the 15th century, Benin emerged as preeminent among all the Yoruba city states. They were very expert metalsmiths in brass, bronze, and iron. Most of the art, especially in metals and in ivory, was reserved for the exclusive use of the Oba (king) of Benin, and was made by artists in his direct employ. The subjects are beautifully stylized representations of the king and his court and soldiers. What mattered was not the individuals, but their sacred office. Works of art from Benin are the most famous and celebrated to come out of Nigeria. The British military destroyed Benin in a punitive expedition in 1897, scattering the art of its royal court to museums around the world. Yoruba Culture. A large majority of the Africans who were forcibly exiled to the Americas as slaves were Yoruba, and the rich and complex Yoruba culture still shapes much of life in the New World. Practices like Vodoun (Vodoo) and Santeria come out of the old Yoruba religion. Below is a pair of doors carved by a celebrated sculptor by the name of Olowe in 1910 for the palace of a Yoruba king. It records the visit of British Travelling Commissioner for Ondo province, Captain Ambrose visiting the Ogoga (king) of the city of Ikere in 1897 shortly after the punitive expedition against Benin. The King wears the tall crown on the left and the Captain is borne in a litter on the right. I sometimes wonder if even the memory of traditional African cultures will survive. Frequently, the demand of foreign collectors leads to widespread looting and destruction of African heritage sites, especially of the Dogon and Bamana in Mali. The black market in art and antiquities loves poverty and political instability. That's why it's flooded with artifacts from Central America, Iraq, and Africa. Other times, foreign demand is all that's supporting the continuation of some African art and craft traditions. Colonialism and slavery were catastrophes for native African cultures, but they somehow survived, even if in fragmentary form. I'm not so sure they will survive the fierce competition for souls on the continent between the world's 2 great imperial religions, Christianity and Islam. Already, so much of native African religion and culture has been ground to powder between those 2 millstones.
Rare sculptures from the historical kingdom of Benin in what is now southwestern Nigeria will go on view next fall.
Nigeria, 17th century Benin City Edo people 17th century During the second half of the fifteenth century Portuguese navigators began to explore the West African coast. They arrived in Benin between 1472 and 1486, finding a sophisticated society ruled by a monarch, who was probably Oba Ozolua or Oba Esigie. The Portuguese had hoped to convert the people of Benin to Christianity but discovered them to be more interested in trade. The arrival of the Portuguese coincided with great political and artistic developments under the guidance of the oba. From then on most of the Benin 'bronzes' were cast from European brass acquired through trade. Figures of Europeans such as this Portuguese soldier were kept on royal altars or on the roof of the royal palace in Benin city. The Portuguese were represented in Benin art in various forms. Their arrival by sea and the bringing of luxury goods enabled the Portuguese travellers to be incorporated into Benin ideas associated with the god Olokun, ruler of the sea and provider of wealth. K. Yoshida and J. Mack (eds.), Images of other cultures (Osaka, National Museum of Ethnology, 1997) P. Girshick Ben-Amos, The art of Benin (London, The British Museum Press, 1995)
As talks continue between the UK and Nigeria over Benin Bronzes, we survey where in the world are majority of these art historical treasures.
The Kingdom of Benin (in present day Nigeria) flourished in the 16th century. The Palace in Benin City was decorated with numerous brass plaques depicting life at the royal court. Here, the Oba of Benin is accompanied by two court attendants who support him as he sits 'side-saddle' on a horse led by a groom. The heavy burden of Kingship is evident. Africa Gallery. The British Museum, London
Date: 16th century. Geography: Nigeria, Court of Benin. Culture: Edo peoples. Medium: Brass. Dimensions: H. 9 1/4 x W. 8 5/8 x D. 9 in. (23.5 x 21.9 x 22.9...
The Benin Dialogue group announced the loan of cultural artifacts back to Nigeria for a new museum planned in the Africa nation for 2021.
The Benin Bronzes is the name given to a group of artifacts produced by the Benin Empire, which occupied the area which is today Nigeria. The Benin Bronzes consist of several thousand commemorative plaques and sculptures that were made of brass of variable composition (despite being called ‘bronzes’).
Traditional rulers play an important role in many African societies. They are the custodians of peace and the traditions of their respective kingdoms. In this list we will be looking at a few of the most popular African monarchs that kids should know.
Date: 18th century. Geography: Nigeria, Court of Benin. Culture: Edo peoples. Medium: Brass. Dimensions: 5 in. H x 2 in. W x 2 3/8 in. D (12.7 x 5.1 x 6 cm)...
“Relief figures adorned with leopards from an old and now demolished building. Benin City, Southern Nigeria, 1936. Photo: Eckart von Sydow.”
An oil painting of a child fife player by Edouard Manet, Claude Monet’s impressionist landscape of the Saint-Lazare Station and Henri Matisse’s Still Life with Magnolia are among the items that will supplement the permanent collection of Louvre Abu Dhabi when it opens.
Explore the British Museum collection and journey through two million years of human history.
