A plaque in the the style of Benin

A plaque in the the style of Benin, depicting a battle scene, this high-relief plaque shows an oversized warrior adorned in the opulent regalia of a warlord, his helmet bearing a distinctly phallic form. At the center of the composition, he grasps the head of a smaller warrior with his left hand, while raising a sword in his right, threatening him. The smaller figure appears to have already lost contact with the groundfloating slightly, suggesting that “his fate is already sealed.” Surrounding this central scene are additional figures: soldiers, musicians, and a horse. In total, the plaque portrays seven human figures and one animal.

From a technical perspective, this work is undoubtedly among the finest achievements of the Benin bronze casting tradition. Art historian Prof. Hauser Scheublin once wrote in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) that “even the Benin plaques are stained with blood,” referring to the events of 1897, when British troops looted the Kingdom of Benin and carried off numerous artworks. However I emphasize that the plaques themselves depict scenes of violence and glorifications of warfare—challenging any romanticized or heroic interpretations of their imagery.

Height: 50 cm
Length: 42 cm
Weight: 9,9 kg