Poynor ranking – 1 All three Benin head look good. They are exceptionally heavy, but I’ve never lifted one
before. MB 9/13/2016
Per Dr. Poynor, the generalized term for the medium this object was executed in is: copper alloy. (Copper
alloys are metal alloys that have copper as their principal component. The best known traditional types are
bronze, where tin is a significant addition, and brass, using zinc instead. An alloy is a mixture of metals).
MB 7/12/2016
Altars to paternal ancestors in Edo culture were decorated with sculptural heads that alluded to the fathers
honored at the site. Wooden heads in human or ram form adorned the altars dedicated to the
commemoration of the fathers of chiefs. Terracotta heads decorated the paternal shrines of members of the
brass-casting guild of the court. Brass heads, such as these, were reserved for royal altars honoring past
obas or kings.
Idealized brass representations of the oba rested at the base of royal ancestral altars, each dedicated to a specific king. In 1897, a British expeditionburned the palace and sent the king into exile. At that time
sixteen altars to past kings were recorded. After the looting, thousands of brass and ivory objects were sent
from the palace to Europe and America. There is no way to determine which object was dedicated to which
king.
The generally accepted sequence of style, based on size and form, would suggest that these three heads are
from the last of three periods of artistic production—likely produced sometime in the 19th century but
prior to 1897. The elongated collar of beads, the flange at the base, and the wing-like projections from the
crown are all associated with that period -- a time during which there was an increasing abundance of brass
available but during which the power of the court was already waning. Some propose the more elaborate
forms of this era may suggest an attempt to demonstrate power visually --while actual power was slipping
away.
[Robin Poynor 2017]
Cast brown bronze sculpture depicting an "Oba" ; Head displayed with a close-fitting headdress with
ornamental bosses and protrusions elongated at top area; decorative horns at side curve in at nose-level
area; ornamental extended collar worn high on the neck, all mounted on a circular metal base.
Cast green-brown patina bronze commemorative head depicting "Oba"; Head displayed wearing a winged
helmet with ornamental bosses and winged tips; decorative arrow-forms at side curve in at eye-level area;
ornamental extended collar worn high on the neck like a bracelet motif, all mounted on a circular metal
base with animals.
Poynor ranking – 1 All three Benin head look good. They are exceptionally heavy, but I’ve never lifted one
before. MB 9/13/2016
Per Dr. Poynor, the generalized term for the medium this object was executed in is: copper alloy. (Copper
alloys are metal alloys that have copper as their principal component. The best known traditional types are
bronze, where tin is a significant addition, and brass, using zinc instead. An alloy is a mixture of metals).
MB 7/12/2016
Exhibition: "The Figure Past and Present: Selections from the Permanent Collection", November 29, 2008-
ongoing, "Authority & Conflict" section Gallery 2.
(previously INV. #46.96)
As an art form, these portrait heads date back to the fourteenth century. The production of this work involves a centuries-old technique termed the lost-wax process. To make such an object, one must possess complex knowledge of both pottery and metalworking. This process begins with beeswax or a similar substance that can be finely carved, but also sturdy. Once the initial carving nears completion, layers of clay are added to the beeswax. Once the form becomes sufficiently durable, the piece is ready to be fired. During the firing process, the wax melts away. The clay becomes a hollow shell that resembles the original beeswax carving. After pouring hot liquid metal into the ceramic mold, the object must cool off and dry. Once this step is complete, the ceramic pieces are broken off to reveal a metal object such as the one before you.
This face appears youthful and idealized, common attributes found in representations of leaders of the Benin Kingdom (founded in 1180 and located in what is today southern Nigeria). An Oba served as the most significant spiritual and political figure within the Benin Court. Before becoming an Oba, the leader in training would need to commission a portrait of his predecessor and place the portrait in a ceremonial altar. The crosshatching lines on the head form part of the beaded crown. Below the lips, the horizontal lines that continued down the neck symbolize a coral beaded necklace. The three markings (ikharo) located above each eye signifying that the subject is male as four signify a female subject or a foreigner. The marks themselves are likely linked to a scarification ritual. The wide-lipped flange at the bottom of the work denote that the work dates to the nineteenth century as earlier works are devoid of this characteristic.
The museum acknowledges that this work derives from the Benin Kingdom, and that myriad art and artifacts were pillaged from this place as a result of British invasion in 1897 and foreign exploitation during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As we continue to seek to understand the colonial resonances in the museum’s collection, the staff joins other museum professionals and cultural experts to research these objects to better understand how they left their place of origin. Benin City persists as a home to a vibrant arts scene where bronze sculpture continues to be produced.