Olowe of Ìsẹ̀ (c. 1873–1938) occupies a special place in the history of West African art, as his name—unlike most traditional African artists—is recorded and associated with individualisable works.¹ His wood carvings—particularly palace doors and veranda posts—entered significant collections from the early twentieth century, such as the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where an ensemble of his work is documented.²
In Western art history, Olowe is often read as a “master,” whereas the artists of the Kingdom of Benin largely remain anonymous.³ This anonymity is frequently contrasted with the notion of individual African artistic genius, but it overlooks the structural and political conditions of art production in Benin. The Benin court artists, particularly members of the Igun Eronmwon and Igbesanmwan guilds, were directly accountable to the oba and produced works codifying genealogical, cosmological, and political order.⁴ Authorship was collective and deliberately anonymised to uphold the sacred and political centrality of the king.
Colonial intervention marked a decisive rupture. In the spring of 1897, British troops conducted the so-called Punitive Expedition in Benin City, during which thousands of objects were looted from the royal palace and transferred to European museums without systematic documentation.⁵ These objects—now known as the “Benin Bronzes”—were removed from their social, ritual, and political contexts and interpreted in Europe as “ethnographic evidence” or “courtly art.”⁶
By contrast, Olowe’s works arrived gradually in Europe and North America through colonial exhibitions and acquisitions. As early as the 1920s, one of his palace doors was displayed at the British Empire Exhibition, later acquired by the British Museum.⁷
Museums have reinforced these narrative distinctions. Olowe is presented as an individual “African master,” whose stylistic innovations anticipate an African modernity.⁸ This narrative incorporates African art into Western categories of authorship and originality, while overlooking the socio-political frameworks of its production and reception.⁹ In contrast, Benin objects are often praised for their monumental quality, while the history of violence leading to their presence in museums is largely elided.¹⁰
Another problematic effect of museum framing lies in the attribution of “tradition” versus “innovation.” Olowe is depicted as innovative and dynamic, whereas Benin art is frequently portrayed in popular narratives as static and ritualised.¹¹ This framing obscures the dynamic history of Benin as a politically active kingdom with a sophisticated metalworking tradition spanning centuries.¹²
Current debates on the restitution of the Benin Bronzes make these epistemic issues particularly salient. Initiatives such as the Benin Dialogue Group aim to foster cooperation between Western museums and Nigerian institutions to develop models for repatriation and display.¹³ At the same time, they question institutional responsibility and the control of returned heritage.¹⁴
A decolonising museum practice should therefore address not only the physical return of objects, but also the narrative constructions that shape their meanings. It should critically reflect on the attribution of authorship, reintroduce the functional contexts of artworks, and confront the historically entrenched power asymmetries between Western institutions and source communities. Olowe should not be read in isolation as a genius, and Benin art should not be treated as a disembodied high culture. Both contexts must be understood as historically situated practices of art, power, and memory.
photo, wj ¹⁵
Footnotes
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Smithsonian Magazine. “Olowe of Ise — Sculptor to Kings.”
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National Museum of African Art. Olowe of Ise: A Yoruba Sculptor to Kings; The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Olowe of Ise: Ise Palace Door / Ilekun aafin.
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Hicks, Dan. The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution.
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Layiwola, Peju. “Benin Bronzes in Contemporary Nigerian Art.” African Arts, vol. 43, no. 4, 2010, pp. 58–71.
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Hicks, Dan. 2020.
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Sarr, Felwine, and Bénédicte Savoy. The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage, 2018; Adams, Pamela, ed. Reclaiming the Past: African Art and Its Collectors, 2009.
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Guardian Nigeria. “100 Years After First Show, Oyebanji Shines Light on… Olowe of Ise.”
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National Museum of African Art. 1998.
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Smithsonian Magazine; National Museum of African Art.
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Hughes, Matthew. “From Looted Art to National Treasure: Benin Bronzes Negotiations and Restitution Politics.” Journal of Cultural Heritage, vol. 30, 2018, pp. 112–22; Benin Dialogue Group.
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Hicks, 2020; Layiwola, 2010.
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Hancock, Graham. “Benin and the West: Early Contacts and Their Impact.” Journal of African History, vol. 50, no. 3, 2009, pp. 421–44; Echeruo, Michael J.C. Victorian Lagos, 1978.
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Benin Dialogue Group.
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University of Cambridge – Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. “Our Approach to the Return of Benin Bronzes.”
- An Epa / Elefon mask of Olówè of Isè, exhibited in the Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery, Berlin 2021, now Hans-Joachim und Gisa Sander Collection, Darmstadt, Germany.