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.

 I believe that the import of all art objects from Africa—whether copies or originals—should be prohibited to protect Africa." Quote: Prof. Dr. Viola König, former director of the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, now HUMBOLDTFORUM 

Legal Framework 

Under the 1970 UNESCO Convention in combination with the Kulturgutschutz Gesetz (KGSG) any claim for the restitution of cultural property becomes time-barred three years after the competent authorities of the State of origin obtain knowledge of the object’s location and the identity of its possessor. All bronzes and terracotta items offered have been publicly exhibited in Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery since 2001. Organisations such as DIGITAL BENIN and academic institutions such as the Technical University of Berlin, which have been intensively involved in restitution-reseaches (translocation-project) over the past seven years, are aware of our work, have inspected large parts of our collection and have visited us in our dependance in Lomé, Togo, among other places, to learn about the international Art trade on site. Furthermore, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Abuja, Nigeria, has been informed about our collection. In no case in the past have there been restitution claims against private institutions such as the Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery Our Gallery addresses these structural challenges through a policy of maximum transparency and documentation. Should any questions or uncertainties arise, we invite you to contact us. Each matter will be reviewed diligently using all available resources. Non-binding TL Analysis on request, 350,- Euro extra.

TL Analysis 310 years, +/- 24,3 %.

CAB07020a

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