The foundation of the Benin peoples was contemporary with the European late mediaeval period, when the kingdom of Benin was founded by a descendent of an Ife king in c.1180 AD. In the 15th and 16th centuries AD the power of the empire stretched across most of West Africa, and those areas not under their control were indirectly influenced by the effect of their trade networks and material culture styles. 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. The power of this empire was unequalled in its time, and the full extent of the rulers’ wealth only became apparent in the aftermath of its destruction.

Benin art is primarily based around a court context, and was designed to venerate the achievements and/or memory of the Obas, the divine rulers of the Benin polities. The artists and craftsmen were typically attached to a specific court, and charged with manufacture of objects solely for their ruler. Their work in bronze and copper, 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. The context of the pieces varied. Brass plaques depicting Obas and their courtly lives were attached to the walls and posts of compound buildings, while smaller pieces were worn – such as hip-masks – or kept as personal talismans. However, the majority of Benin masterworks were incorporated into the commemorative altars that were constructed under the order of new Obas in memory of their deceased fathers. They were low platforms of mud, decorated with various artefacts alluding to the Oba’s achievements in life. Their features were typically recorded on one or several bronze/brass heads, which were used as supports for holding elephant tusks in a crescent across the top of the altar. Further decorations included spears, statues, cast brass pieces 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”).

Particularly important – and perhaps domineering – queen mothers (Iyoba) were also sometimes commemorated in this way, following an edict laid down by Oba Esigie in the early 16th century (Phillips 1999: 397). The iconography and nature of the items placed upon Iyoba’s altars differs somewhat from that of their sons; brass heads representing Iyobas can always be differentiated on the basis of their tall hairstyles. Perhaps the best-known Iyoba-specific artefact is the cockerel, or Eson. The seemingly overtly male symbolism of the cockerel is misleading; the word “Eson” is an abbreviation of the praise name “Eson, Ogoro Madagba” – “the cock that crows at the head of the harem” – which was an honorific title for the Oba’s first wife and thus the mother of the future king. Her tasks included organisation and control of the harem, the training of junior wives in court etiquette, and various other administrative and political duties that give her what is probably the highest rank in Benin society – equivalent to that of a senior town chief.

The design of this majestic animal is expressionistic rather than naturalistic, with geometric designs covering much of the body in emulation of feathers. The base is likewise decorated with abstract scrollwork, and a motif (perhaps an offering of food for the rooster itself?) in front of the bird. The base is decorated with continuous knotwork designs around the perimeter and the sides, with a raised rim at the very bottom of the piece. The rooster is corpulent and strong, standing on stocky, well- feathered legs with careful detailing to “skin” and feet. The upper aspect of the leg and the body are covered with oval feathers that resemble leaves, giving way to the (long) flight feathers of the wings and the swathes of laterally-oriented feathers around the ruff of the neck. The tail is tall and comprises four lobes, with interspersed bands of linear feathering. The head is comparatively small, with a thick beak that follows the overall outline of the head, a multi- lobate wattle, and a tall comb with eight distinct apices. The eye is small and almond-shaped, with a distinct rim and pupil.

Oba Esigie’s edict concerning honouring of Iyobas seems to have predated the origin of the rooster by at least 100 years: the earliest known example has been radiometrically dated to 1642. However, there is little dating information for the remaining roosters, which currently number around two dozen examples, and thus stylistic characteristics are of questionable value in ascertaining chronological position. Current academic thought places the known specimens in the early-mid 18th through to the 19th centuries, but this is done primarily on the basis of decorative element matching from known-age pieces as well as patina, use-wear and metal composition. For example, high zinc content is typically a 19th century characteristic, as is the use of iron core pins. The metals for this piece have not yet been tested; a preliminary study of the style of the piece leads us to suggest a late 18th century date, on the basis of the corpulence of the bird, and the nature of the detailing (see Ezra 1992: 88, vs. op. cit. 89), but this is open to reassessment as more data become available.

This is a powerful and mature piece of metalworking from a culture that stands among the most culturally sophisticated groups in the world, and thus deserves a star positioning within any discerning collection.

Ezra, K. 1992. Royal Art of Benin: the Perls Collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, US.

Bacquart, J. 1998. The Tribal Arts of Africa. Thames and Hudson, UK.

Phillips, T. (ed). 1999. Africa: The Art of a Continent. Prestel.