Benin Head: A Piece of African Renewal Art

The Benin Head

The term “Benin head” refers to a remarkable work of art that a West African sculptor produced in the early 16th century in accordance with the people’s ideology and culture. The artwork, an ivory figurine of a woman’s pendant head, was presented to the King of the vast country. (New York Times 1). Be aware that Benin was located in what is now Nigeria. The figure, which is less than a foot tall, is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of sculpture in all of history.Towards this end, it is critical to analyze the Benin head in context, including the philosophy of the people, the material utilized, the logic behind the art, and occurrences during the period 1550-1650.

Benin and Its People

Benin, in present Nigeria, was populated by people of the Edo (EE-doh) descent. For approximately 600 years, starting from the 1300’s, this region was autonomously known as Benin (Artsmia.org 1). Traditionally, the oba demanded that his tributes be paid by neighbors that his warriors conquered. Similarly, he profited substantially from the thriving trade with the Europeans. He spent a considerable portion of his riches on extraordinary objects created by Edo craftsmen who were renowned for exquisite metalwork, for instance, ivory carving and then bronze sculpture. The British conquered the Kingdom of Benin in 1897 when the King was forced to exile. However, his son came back to the nation in 1914 to reconstitute the royal court and its accompanying social functions. The present oba is honored by the citizens but in reality, has limited power. It is important to point out that commemorative heads were significant to the Edo; Obas’ instituted brass commemorative head to honor their predecessors within their first year of serving (British Museum 3). Between 1500 and 1800, the kingdom progressively grew both in power and wealth, which was manifested in the rise of ostentation and size of the royal regalia. This meant that the heads would be sculpted to become heavier and larger. The beaded collar had to reach the mouth, with extra bead clusters adorning the crown.

Figure 1: The Benin Head

Source: Artsmia.org (2)

The Significance of Ivory

The artwork is significant for its use of ivory as its primary material. Traditionally, the Edo Empire primarily made art pieces using carved ivory and cast bronze (Leavitt 32). The Oba of Benin was also the people’s divine ruler. It was believed that the materials utilized for royal arts were endowed with a type of sacred power. Similarly, the inherent value that the materials posed to the kingdom, including the skill and time invested in them, portrayed the otherworldly and earthly influence of the ruler, as well as the significant wealth that the kingdom possessed. The Benin head, for instance, represents royal prerogative. Over the years, the empire’s rulers have utilized such arts to construe the kingdom’s history and define images for posterity. Most importantly, the Edo’s altar represents a significant site for palace rituals and is a method of integrating the continuing influence of previous kings in their descendants’ affairs. This means that it was important to make the head using a material perceived as sacred (Metmuseum.org 2). The Oba’s regalia reiterates his divine rule. His shirts, aprons, coral crowns and accessories allude to those that were reportedly stolen from the god of prosperity and water, Olokun, by Oba Ewuare. Towards this end, any material making any of his regalia has to be sacred. Similarly, the head is perceived as the focus of man’s success, knowledge, family leadership, and knowledge in the Edo world.

Interaction with Europeans and Decline

Most of antique Benin arts were probably made between 1550 and 1650. Some of the things were taken from the royal altars of the rulers’ ancestors, although among them was a significant proportion of cast brass plaques meant to decorate the palace’s wooden pillars (British Museum 3). The kingdom of Benin started coming into contact with the Europeans in the early 16th century. During this period, the Oba sent his emissary to Lisbon, Portugal and the Portuguese King sent their missionaries to the kingdom (Leavitt 33). Pursuant to this, some residents of the African kingdom could still speak pidgin Portuguese in the closing years of the 19th century. In 1553, the debutant English expedition meant that there was significant trading contact between Benin and England based on ivory export, which was a crucial material for creating art, pepper, and palm oil. Visitors during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries brought to Europe narratives of the “Great Benin,” which was described as a marvelous city characterized by noble buildings and ruled over by a mighty king. However, the King started to become suspicious of Britain’s greater colonial designs and cut off communications until much later (1897) when the British overran Benin and as a component of a punitive measure, burned and looted it.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, the Benin head represents the significance of art in the kingdom, including the people’s philosophy, their culture, and the importance of the material that made the art piece. In Benin, ivory and bronze were perceived as having some form of sacred elements, which augmented the role of divinity that the oba played. However, getting into contact with the European continent would later lead to the decline of the kingdom as England colonized, burned, and looted the empire.

Works Cited

Artsmia.org. “KEY IDEA #1: The kingdom of Benin flourished in western Africa for centuries”. Artsmia.org, 2017 https://new.artsmia.org/teaching-the-arts/benin-head/the-kingdom-of-benin-flourished-in western-africa-for-centuries/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2017.

British Museum. Benin: an African kingdom. London: British Museum, 2016. Print.

Leavitt, Amie Jane. Discovering the Kingdom of Benin. London: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2013. Print.

Metmuseum.org. ”Head of an Oba.“ Metmuseum.org, 2017. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1979.206.86/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2017.

New York Times. ”Art Review; An African Renewal At the Metropolitan.“ The New York Times, 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/02/arts/art-review-an-african-renewal-at-the-metropolitan.html. Accessed 26 Nov. 2017.