Benin Art Corpus

Bronze head: - this was dated to about b1500AD or a little earlier. The sensitive naturalism of Ife bronze where Benin bronze was thought to have been derived, though some features notably the ears are more styled than Ife bronze. The miniature head which is a unique piece was dated to about half a century or more later.

Bronze heads. This was dated from the end of the early period about the mid sixteenth century. It has rectangular strings of iron inlay, a mark of early period are also present.

Bronze Queen Mother Head. This is a title conferred on his mother by the Oba three years after his accession since the time of Esigie in the early sixteenth century.

Bronze head {Uhumwelao}. This particular bronze head is usually placed at the Royal altar {Aru-erha}. It is an early example of the middle period or classical style. It was dated to about 1550-1650. The head is intended to carry a great weight such as the carved tusks which is mounted on the head.

Bronze head. This was dated from early in the late period probably about 1700 or a little later.

Bronze head of the massive type, with extreme exaggeration of proportion band with flamboyant ornamentation introduced by Oba Osemwede{1816-1848}. It is the most impressive of all the version of the late style, suggesting a fine artistic work.

Fragmented bronze. {Aegis}. This was dated from the transition between the early and middle period and representing the Oba in his divine aspect with mudfish for legs or more specifically the fourteenth century Oba Ohen who after his legs were paralyzed claimed to have become the sea god {Olokun}. The Oba’s arms are supported by two attendant chief.


Bronze head. {Oduduwa mask}. This is used during the new yam festival in the Oba palace. It is still observed annually in the Oba’s palace with the twentieth century bronze mask in place of those removed by the British expedition. There are six known of this highly expressionist style. It was dated to about 1800.


Bronze head {Osun cult head} of the middle period {probably 20th century} surmounted by four ibis and other symbolic character with snake issuing from the nostrils and lachrymatory glands and devouring frog. It belongs to unidentified spirit of the palace. Osun the medicine spirit which personified the life force


Bronze plaque. Pair of bronze plaque of a single figure of a bini warrior. There are about 20 of this style of pair bronze plaques and they appear to be by a single hand. They were the first plaques to be made probably in the late sixteenth century.


Bronze plaque. This is a representation of Oba in a seated position on a cylindrical stool with two chief supporting his arms, one of whom is by custom his son and heir, the Edaiken. There are also Portuguese heads as symbols of his status and power. It belongs to late 16th /early 17th century.


Bronze plaque. There are seven of these known plaques which appear to be by a single artist. It is a fragmentary of a scene of a bini shooting at an ibis on a tree and leopard hunt by the Portuguese hunters.


Bronze altar. A bronze altar representing an Oba attended by two foreign slaves, male and female and behind by shield bearers. It is one of the masterpieces of the late period {about 1750-1800}.


Bronze figure. Two bronze figure of achondroplasic dwarfs, such as used to be kept as tumblers and jesters by the Obas of Benin. They are of the finest of all the Benin Bronze figures and as well as naturalistic in style.


Bronze figure. This is one the Oba’s horn blowers, a fine work of classical or middle period. The skirt is prolong in a hornlike process, stiffened with canes and rising from left hip and secure by shoulder

Bronze stool. This is one of the two solid bronze stools or thrones {Erhe} said to have been made by Oba Tresonyen in the mid eighteenth century. Their iconography is in some way untypical of Benin work. It has one motifs of a grinning human simian face while the central portion incorporates a coiled python as a royal power symbol.

Bronze pendant. A small aegis shaped bronze pendant worn at the waist. It is a presentation of one Portuguese threatening or attacking another over a leopard head. It is of the middle period.

Bronze. A bronze hip mask of transition between early and middle periods. It has a human face metamorphosed in its lower portion into an elephant’s tusk and trunk, and expressionally indicated by its turning into a hand grasping a branch.

Bronze figure. A bronze figure of a warrior armed with a sword and the Bini bow. It is a version of the middle period style.

Bronze figure. Bronze horseman of the middle period. The hat is like those worn by bodyguard of the Fulani Emirs of the northern Nigeria. These figures are commonly said to represent visitors from the north.

Bronze plaque. A bronze plaque representing a warrior seated on a horse holding a spear. The plaque is full of movement indicating a leopard hunter or a warrior in battle.


Ivory Armlets. Pair of ivory armlets, each consisting of two interlocking cylinders carved from a single block of ivory. It has the figure Oba’s carved on the outer cylinder alternate with symbolic double elephant’s skulls protruding from the inner cylinder. They are among the finest ivory of Benin armlet. It belongs to sixteenth century.


Bronze figure. A bronze figure of a man who worn a cross, which may or may not be a Christian cross. The missing right hand would have held an l-shaped iron hammer of a type sacred to Ogun, the god of iron and warfare. The figure may be a Christian convert of the sixteenth century. The Benin traditions say that such figures are emissaries either from the Oni of Ife or attah of Idah.


Bronze Python. Colossal bronze python head from the palace gate ways where it is mounted more than a dozen of these types are known. This one is probably from the middle period.