Benin History and the Museum's Benin Collection The art of Benin is the product of an urban royal court, and is meant to symbolize and to extol the power, mystique, grandeur, continuity, and endurance of the ruling dynasty and its governing institutions. From the 14th century until its fall in 1897, Benin was ruled by the oba, a divine ruler at the head of the political system of titled chiefs. Under royal support, a number of craftsman's guilds produced brass, ivory, and wood sculptures and embroidered cloth which have become prized by museums and command high prices on the art market. The tradition of the oba as patron of the arts has continued. In 1914, Oba Eweka II lifted the restrictions on the sale of art work, and traditional craftsmen began to create for the public as well. Benin art has been resilient in the face of political, economic, social, and religious change. Traditional forms continue to be made today, and new forms are emerging to become part of contemporary Benin culture.

Memorial head, bronze, Kingdom of Benin, Nigeria. 1550 - 1650 A.D.

Commemorative plaque, bronze, Kingdom of Benin, Nigeria. 1550 -1650 A.D.

The Benin case in the African Gallery includes: IVORY armlet, box, wand... Ivory symbolized royalty and the continuity of dynastic rule. White was the color of ritual purity, so ivory was often worn by the oba on ceremonial occasions. Such was the skill of ivory carvers that they worked the pieces without any preliminary sketches. BRASS BELT MASKS Cast in high relief, these small pendants were worn by chiefs of all rank to decorate the fastening of the typical Benin men's kilt, which was secured on the left hip (as seen in the picture of Commemorative Plaque above). Leopard faces and portraits of court members were common. QUADRANGULAR BRASS BELLS were used on altars to attract the attention of the ancestors. They were also worn around the neck by warriors in battle; the sound of these bells also announced their victories upon returning home. BRASS AND IVORY ARMLETS AND BRACELETS Armlets and bracelets were worn by royalty and nobility. Ivory armlets were worn only by the oba, especially in ceremonies where he danced with the eben sword or handled a gong, because they kept his elaborate coral bead costume from getting tangled.

Benin History For over six hundred years the city of Benin was the capital of a prosperous, well-organized empire of the same name. At its peak during the 14th and 15th centuries, the empire stretched from Dahomey to the Niger River and reached as far south as the coast. In 1170 A.D. a prince from the city of Ife named Oranmiyan founded the monarchy of Benin. His son, Eweka I, became the first Oba (king). The present ruler, Erediauwa I, is the 39th Oba of the dynasty. The palace in Benin was the height of a complex feudal society characterized by widespread competition for power, prestige and wealth. The arrival of the Portuguese around 1485 created a new era of prosperity and rapid expansion. The Portuguese provided economic and militaristic strength for the kingdom, acting as a conduit for overseas trade and fighting in Benin military campaigns. Conflicts stemming from the early 17th century helped bring about the decline of the kingdom in 1897, when an official British delegation was ambushed on route to the kingdom. In retaliation, the British sent the Oba into exile and burned the palaces. In order to further weaken the Oba and to deter additional bloodshed --the Oba had made sacrifices to the gods -- the British removed over two thousand objects from the palace. These objects -- including the Oba's primary symbol of power, the stool -- were auctioned off to defray the costs of the military expedition. Today Benin City is the capital of Bendal State and part of Nigeria's federal structure. Benin Art and Beliefs The sophistication and symbolism of Benin art illustrate the monarchy's ability at using the arts as instruments of the state. As the influence of the chiefs grew over the centuries, the office of the oba became increasingly ceremonial. As a result, court ritual and art focused on what set the oba apart from the chiefs: his ability to claim divine origins. The divinity of the Benin monarchy is linked to Osanobua, the Creator God, and Olokun, his eldest son, who is associated intimately with the human world and with aspects of wealth, fertility and beauty. His symbols are the python and the crocodile: animals that can live in water and on land, sent by Olokun to punish wrongdoing. The midfish also inhabits the dual worlds of the riverbank and the shallow waters, and its powerful electric schock exemplified the potential violence of ancestors, warriors and obas. Symbols such as these help reinforce the political legitimacy of the monarchy. Benin royal art is primarily made of ivory and bronze. Ivory carving has been part of court life since the early 12th century. In the past, all trade in ivory was controlled by the Oba, and any hunter who killed an elephant was obliged to give one of its tusks to the palace. In this way the rulers of Benin amassed huge stocks of ivory, to be carved by the Igbesanmwan, the herediatry guild of ivory carvers. Ivory's ritual importance stems from its color, orhue (chalk), considered the perfect symbol of purity, prosperity and peace. Before the arrival of the Portuguese, the supply of bronze would have come from trade with northern neighbors. In the 15th century a great expansion in bronze-casting took place, reflecting the increased commercial importance of Benin. Bronze heads of obas and queen mothers form the pinnacle of this artistic tradition. While it is common to emphasize the continuity of art and culture in traditional societies, Benin's development was far from static. Contact with the neighboring Yoruba groups, the introduction of Christianity and Islam and the formation of the nation of Nigeria impacted the arts. Although the kingdom of Benin ended in 1897, the Oba continues to commission art to inspire public loyalty and pride, as well as preserve historical memory during the changes of 20th century Nigeria.

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