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The vast majority of Benin’s artworks are
designed to honour the achievements and/or
memory of the Obas, the divine rulers of the
Benin polities. Until the late 19th century, the
Benin centres were a ruling power in Nigeria,
dominating trade routes and amassing enormous
wealth as the military and economic leaders of
their ancient empire. This changed with the
appearance of the British forces, which coveted
the wealth of the royal palaces and found a
series of excuses to mount a punitive expedition
against the Oba’s forces in 1897. It was only at
this point, the moment of its’ destruction, that
the true achievements of the Benin polities
became apparent to western scholars. The
palaces were a sprawling series of compounds,
comprising accommodation, workshops and
public buildings. As it grew, the buildings
pertaining to previous Obas were either partially
refurbished or left in favour of newer
constructions; this led to a long history of royal
rule written in sculptural works that rank among
the finest that African cultures have ever
produced. The technology of bronze and copper
smelting, ironworking and sculpting in a range
of materials that particularly included ivory was
extremely refined and effective; indeed, smelting,
forging and cire perdue (lost wax) metalworking
methods exceeded any seen in Europe until the
19th century. Brass or bronze Oba heads such as
this one were used to honour the memory of a
deceased king. Typically, the son of the dead
king – the new Oba – would pay tribute to his
father by erecting an altar in his memory. These
altars, low platforms of mud that were arrayed
around the perimeter of the royal courtyards,
were decorated with various artefacts alluding to
the Oba’s achievements in life. These heads were
typically arranged in pairs, each supporting an
elephant’s tusk that was inserted through the
hole in the top of the head. Further decorations
included spears, statues, cast brass altars
depicting the Oba and his followers, brass bells
to awaken the spirits, rattle-staffs (ukhurhe) and
magical objects that included Neolithic celts
(known as “thunder stones”). The new king would
pay homage to his father in this way,
guaranteeing the succession and demonstrating
the continuity of divine kingship.
Stylistically, the Benin heads follow certain
conventions through time, but as metal does not
lend itself to radiometric testing it is hard to be
sure as to precise dates. The typology currently
in acceptance is likely to be overturned as others
have been. The piece in question is a
magnificently formed and executed casting of a
youthful, well-nourished male. The hair is in fact
a beaded crown that is cut to the temples across
the forehead, then dips once to the level of the
ears. It is comprised of five bands of overlapping
beadwork in the rear, and three bands at the
front. The apex of the head is missing, to allow
the introduction of a tusk. The forehead is
prominent, acting as a shelf over the eyes, and
decorated with a central double scar indentation
and four “pellets” arranged in two groups of two.
The eyes are unobscured, large pointed ovals
distinct peripheral rims and distinct irises that
were originally inlaid with iron. At the lateral
apex of each they have a trefoil linear design
picked out in relief. The nose is long and elegant,
with a broad trilobate end. The lips are fine, yet
full and well-formed with a naturalistic fovea
above the top lip. The rounded chin hints at the
prosperity that the dead Oba doubtless enjoyed
through his life. The ears are portrayed as
delicate swirls in a faintly molluscan format, and
the entire head sits upon a series of twenty one
fine, sectorial neck rings that do not extend up
onto the face. The head summons up the
traditional issue of the relationship between the
Benin and Yoruba polities, for the elongated
triple “whiskers” joining the lateral aspects of the
mouth to the ears are not often found on Benin
pieces. While the Oba has traditionally been
associated with the leopard, this was more likely
to be expressed as zoomorphic designs and
artefacts rather than feline lycanthropy such as
this. The Yoruba, however, did use this motif.
This is therefore a fascinating object from
historical, social and artistic perspectives. The
importance of the Benin polity to the
development of African and even world art
cannot be overestimated. This piece would take
pride of place in any serious collection of African
art.
- (LSO.568)
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