Benin bronze

The Kingdom of Benin existed from the 11th century until it was annexed by the British in the 19th century. Benin City was the capital. Benin was home to the Edo people, a people known for their advanced artistic and architectural skills. During a period of economic prosperity in the 13th century, King Oguola appointed a collective of metalworkers and bronze casters who were commissioned to create a large collection of art for his palace and the temples in his kingdom. The statues created by this collective are now known as the Benin Bronzes. They are not only of great decorative value, but also symbolize power and prestige because they were commissioned by the king himself.


Presentation

In terms of performances, we see different genres.
  1. History of Edo with stories of kings and soldiers
    In the bronze statues you often see the faces of kings, also called Obas. These can be recognized by their crown and bead necklace. Brave soldiers are also depicted. These can be recognized by their weapons or shields. Depicting soldiers is also a sign of power because the king shows how strong his army is and how brave his warriors are.
benin bronze head
bust of oba
Bust of an Oba. Benin City, 1960s. From the Rootz Gallery Collection.
  1. Animals
     Within this genre, you will most often find the lion or the leopard. These animals, like in many other cultures around the world, are a symbolic representation of courage and royal power for the Edo.
Benin bronze leopard
  1. Mythological figures and gods
     Figures such as dwarves and monsters sometimes also appear on bronze statues. In addition, there are also gods. These figures come from religious and spiritual stories.
  1. Daily life
    In addition to all these heroic and religious representations, there are also bronze statues that show daily life in the Kingdom of Benin. For example, you see agriculture or various crafts depicted.

Design

Material
The statues are made of bronze or brass. The lost wax method is used for this. This is how it works: the model of the statue is first made in wax and covered with clay. When the clay is dry, the wax is melted. The bronze or brass is poured into the cavity. When it has cooled and hardened, the clay is removed. Then only the bronze or brass remains. The use of this technique ensures that no two statues are the same.

Size of the figures
In certain bronzes, a visual hierarchy can be seen. This is often seen in plaques, which depict multiple figures. The size of these figures can vary considerably, depending on the social status of the figure depicted. For example, kings are usually depicted larger than warriors, and warriors in turn larger than commoners. This sizing strategy serves to emphasize and symbolize the hierarchical social status of each individual depicted.
Benin bronze plaque with warriors.

Relief
The plaques are made in relief. This makes the figures seem to come forward.

Details
Some Benin bronze heads have vertical stripes. There is no clear explanation for this. It could represent scarring, for example, but it could also have a symbolic meaning such as an indication of status or spiritual power. However, some people believe that it is only an aesthetic choice.


Benin bronze head with vertical stripes.

You can also often see a pattern on the fur of the bronze leopards. Here you see two such examples on the leopards of the Rootz Gallery Collection. In the first image you can see that the patterns are made on the bronze itself. They are concentric circles, with a kind of grainy texture in between. In the second image you can see that the patterns are made by circular holes in the bronze. Around that is a ring. Between these circles are small dents in the bronze.

Detail of the leopard. Here you can see the concentric circles.
Detail of the leopard. Here you can see the holes with rings around them.

Eyes
Characteristic of the Benin bronze statues are the large eyes that are prominently present in the statue. The eye sockets themselves are usually quite deep in the face. They are realistically depicted and sometimes the irises are delicately decorated, which draws your gaze into the statue.

Symmetry in composition
What also plays a role in the often perceived beauty of the images is symmetry. You see this in almost all the images. For example, in the animals you see symmetry in the pattern, in the heads of kings you find facial symmetry and in the plaques with multiple figures there is often symmetry in the composition. For example, there is a larger figure in the middle and two smaller figures to the left and right of it.

Return

Today, the Benin Bronzes are often mentioned in discussions of looted art. The original bronzes were looted in the late 19th century by British colonists from what was then the Kingdom of Benin (southern part of present-day Nigeria). They ended up in museums and private collections around the world, but most of the statues ended up in the British Museum in London.

Nigeria has been trying to get the statues back for decades, and even has plans for a museum to properly care for and display the statues (called the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City). However, their request has not had much effect. The problem with these types of requests is that laws on the matter vary from country to country, and there is no central, international law on the matter. [1]

Rootz Gallery collection

The Benin bronzes that Rootz Gallery sells are not the original Benin bronzes. In present-day Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, a long tradition has developed where artists or craftsmen make replicas of the original masterpieces. We have some beautiful examples in the shop, but they are not the stolen ones.


All in all, the Benin bronzes not only reflect the artistic refinement of the former kingdom, but also offer valuable insights into the social, political and religious aspects of the society.

[1] Lecture by Evelien Campfens (lawyer specializing in international cultural and heritage law), Leiden University.

Back to blog