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. Wide plaque, rectangular in form with side flanges. Background surface decorated with river leaf patterns and stippling. Three nail holes at top, three holes at bottom. Depicts three standing figures. Central warrior figure wears smooth dome-shaped helmet with central boss. Has side plaits with pendants, coral bead necklace and armlets and elaborate anklets. Wears knee-length sleeveless tunic covered with small bells and amulets. Carries bow in left hand with sword in sheath at left side, attached by baldric across chest. Flanked on right by court attendant with similar helmet and plaits.Wears beaded collar, necklace and armlets. Dressed in wrap-around patterned skirt with beaded belt. Holds sheathed sword in left hand attached to baldric across chest. Smaller omada figure on left has shaved head with central crest, side plaits with pendants. Wears loincloth and patterned scarf tied around neck. Has sheathed sword on left side attached to baldric across chest. Holds fan in right hand. Head and torso of two European (Portuguese) figures at top; both in profile, facing inwards. Long hair and beards; wear brimmed helmets with bosses and single feather.
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 ~Following Gunsch (2018) the flange patterns on this plaque belong to the double-woven flange pattern group. Characterised by increased size of head in proportion to body and more schematized facial features. ~Read & Dalton 1899: Three standing Native. The central figure is dressed in a sleeveless garment reaching to the knees and covered with tassels and bells, and wears on each lower leg three shaped bands with ornament in relief. Below his sword may be seen a bell-shaped -object like that worn by both of the lateral figures. In his left hand is a small bow. (Cf. Af1898,0115.98) He wears broad armlets on both wrists, and on the head a hemispherical cap from which plaits descend to the shoulders. Round the neck is a necklace of large beads. The attendant on his right wears a similar head-piece and necklace, and has his hair dressed in a similar way. He is bare to the waist, wearing only a baldric over the right shoulder with elaborate appendages, and a loin-cloth partially ornamented. He has beadwork armlets, and his left hand rests on the hilt of a sword. The attendant on the left of the central figure grasps his sword hilt in his left hand, and holds in his right a circular fan. His head is shaved so as to leave a ridge or crest in the centre, and two plaits, one on each side, weighted at the ends with what appear to be cylindrical beads. Round the neck is tied a fringed scarf, and over the right shoulder is suspended a baldric similar to that worn by his companion. He wears no loin-cloth. To right and left of the head of the central figure are busts of long-haired Europeans, each seen in profile and wearing high hats with turned-up brims. The right hand of each is held up towards the mouth, an action which seems to suggest eating or drinking.