Object History Note / Acquisition Notedescription, provenance, notes Following the British occupation of Benin City (Edo) in 1897 objects made of brass, ivory and wood were looted by British forces from the royal palace, its storerooms and compounds. Some of these objects were sold or exchanged on the coast. However, many were brought to the UK where they were sold through private auction, donated to museums, or retained by soldiers of the expedition The British Museum successfully petitioned the government to secure some of the relief plaques and over 300 were sent to the UK by the Consul-General [Sir] Ralph Moor and placed at the Foreign Office. During the summer of 1897 the Crown Agents for the Colonies, on behalf of the Foreign Office, agreed a temporary loan of 304 plaques to the British Museum. In September these were placed on public display in the Assyrian basement where they attracted considerable public attention. The Museum initially received 203 of these plaques as a gift from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In the summer of 1898 a further eleven plaques were sent to the British Museum from the Foreign Office and three of these were selected by the Museum and were subsequently presented as a gift. Of the remaining plaques the Foreign Office retained eight and the rest were offered for sale to major museums, collectors and private dealers in Europe and the UK. Today over nine hundred plaques are known to exist in museums and private collections around the world. See Collection File: Af1898,0115.1-203 (previously Eth.Doc.185).
Physical descriptiondescription Relief plaque, lost-wax cast in brass. Narrow plaque, rectangular in form without side flanges. Background surface decorated with river leaf patterns and stippling. Two nail holes at top and bottom right proper. Depicts standing European (Portuguese) figure with long hair and beard holding a partisan (weapon with long shaft and trilobe spear blade) in right proper hand; crossguard sword in scabbard on left proper hip attached to baldric across chest. Figure wears brimmed helmet decorated with rings around centre and two feathers at sides. Dressed in sleeveless doublet, short-sleeved patterned tunic with long-sleeved garment below, short pleated 'skirt', knee-length breeches and boots. Section of manilla below main figure's left wrist. Small figure in lower right proper corner wears helmet, breeches and fringed garment; bare chest and feet. Holds matchlock in both hands and has sword attached to baldric suspended across chest. Head and shoulders of European (Portuguese) figures with long hair and beards, both wearing helmets with feathers in top proper right and bottom proper left (part).
Small figure at bottom right proper is possibly a member of the Iwoki guild said to have been founded by two Portuguese, Uti and Ava, who arrived in Benin during the reign of Oba Esigie (c.1517-1550s). At the annual Iron Ceremony the Iwoki, holding guns, stand on either side of the Oba as his defenders. ~The relief brass plaques that used to decorate the Oba's (king's) palace are among the most well-known of all the royal arts of Benin. Although frequently described as 'Benin Bronzes' most plaques are made of leaded brass in various compositions. It is widely accepted that they date to the 16th-17th centuries. In the years prior to the British Expeditionroyal influence in Benin was increasingly under threat from rival powers, both internal and external, with a focus on economic power and control of the important trading monopolies. However, the court and palace remained the political and spiritual centre of the Benin Kingdom. Earlier accounts written by Europeans visiting the city describe its size and scale. The palace complex was set up around atrium courtyards; some had galleries with wooden pillars supporting the roof. Brass plaques, probably made in matching pairs, were fixed to these pillars. The Benin brass plaques represent a distinct and unique corpus of work, unparalleled elsewhere on the continent. They are cast using the cire perdue (lost wax) technique and show significant variation in the depth of the relief. Some of the plaques portray historical events or commemorate successful wars, while others are a vivid depiction of Benin court life and ritual. Several groups of plaques show clear stylistic similarities. William B. Fagg suggested that these plaques represent the work of master brass casters. Fagg, William, 1973, 'Nigerian Images', London: Lund Humphries Gunsch, Kathryn, 2018, 'Benin plaques: a 16th century imperial monument', London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group~Read & Dalton 1899: "Figure of a bearded European, with long hair, standing full face. He wears a sleeveless surcoat with buttons and loop button-holes, buckled at the waist, a jerkin with short ornamented sleeves, beneath which appear the sleeves of another garment reaching to the wrists. A baldric supports his sword, which has an elaborate hilt. He has the pleated skirt known as a base, breeches and boots. His hat is ornamented with three raised rings, and has a cord round the rim and two feathers. In his right hand he holds a trefoil-headed pike. Beneath his right arm is a diminutive European attendant with hemispherical hat, fringed jerkin, and short breeches. His feet are bare, and he is armed with a sword and matchlock. At the top is the bust of a European holding a square object with a circle in the centre (Cf. Af1898,0115.15, and Af1898,0115.21). In the lower corner are the remains of a similar bust."
Exhibitions Loans and Displays - Current and Pastexhibition history Exhibited: 1965, Oxford, Pitt Rivers Museum, Art from the Guinea Coast 1970-1973, London, Museum of Mankind, Divine Kingship in Africa