African Arts Gallery

Subject whose morphology refers to the dwarves of the king's entourage. Dwarfs made their appearance at the Benin court in the 15th century, not only for diversion, but also for surveillance. Occult gifts were indeed attributed to them. According to Fagg, these characters were also acrobats and illusionists. Their bronze figures were to adorn the altars of the ancestors. Abraded brown patina. In African art, the art of Benin is described as court art because it is closely associated with the king, known as Oba.
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Before the destruction of the palace of the kingdom of Benin in 1897, the divine character of the kings, the Oba, was illustrated by multiple codified works celebrating their power. Sumptuous bronze altars, commemorative figures of deceased chiefs, majestic felines, ...

This commemorative figure of a benign dignitary, represented seated, forms an intermediary between the spiritual world and the Edo people, and is distinguished by its ornaments in agate and coral beads. The kings of Benin being soldiers above all, he is represented with symbolic attributes illustrating power. This bronze could constitute the top of a stick. Before the destruction of the palace of the Kingdom of Benin in 1897, the divine character of the kings, the Oba, was illustrated by multiple works celebrating their power. War scenes glorifying them were reproduced on narrative plaques, in bronze, and affixed to the walls. Sumptuous bronze altars, commemorative figures of deceased chiefs, majestic felines, heavy bracelets, anklets and recades were produced in quantity in many ...

Figurine of a woman seated on heels. This statuette is made of gilded metal, the surface coated with dark oily deposits, probably for ritual purposes, has rough edges.
Dogon blacksmiths form an endogamous caste among the Dogon called irim. They now produce weapons, tools, and also work with wood. "Masters of fire" associated in the Dogon cosmogony with the primordial beings "Nommo" created by the god Ama, they are also supposed to heal burns. Small metal objects, made using the lost-wax technique, were widespread in the Inner Niger Delta region, with copper reaching it through trans-Saharan trade. Excavations on the Bandiagara plateau have in fact brought to light vestiges of iron and steel sites prior to the 15th century, the date of the arrival of the Dogon. The Nommo, ...

This sculpture depicting a Portuguese soldier, made using the lost wax casting process, has a blaster. Richly dressed, he wears a traditional tunic, hip dagger, helmet, and anklets. Shaded gray patina. The Portuguese arrived in Benin in the 15th century, equipped with a military arsenal which aroused great interest among the kings. The power of firearms was then naturally associated with the capacity for occult defense against invisible enemies. In the 16th century, Europeans played a major role in the court of the Oba: they imported corals and glass beads there, as well as shackles, highly coveted by the king and his courtiers.
At the same time, their soldiers took part in the military campaigns of Benin, in particular against the kingdom of Idah. The character's blaster therefore ...

Ex English private collection of African art.

These altar heads created using the lost wax technique are very loaded with details and patterns. The figures with realistic features have facial scarification and many finely detailed ornaments. This pair of busts presents a beautiful symmetry. The two figures wear a cross-braced garment with a collar bearing a bell.
The horns themselves are covered with geometric patterns and sculpted faces. At the top of each horn sits a soldier, helmet on his head and weapon in his fist.

The art of Benin is described as a court art because it is closely associated with the king, known as the oba. The tradition of Ifè bronze court objects dates back to the 14th century.

The numerous bronze heads and ...