{"product_id":"a-ram-figure","title":"A Ram figure","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis strong sculptural representation of a ram belongs to the tradition of metal casting practiced in the region of \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eOwo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, an important cultural center situated between the spheres of influence of the \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eKingdom of Benin\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e and the \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eYoruba\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e peoples. Owo developed a distinctive artistic tradition that combines formal elements associated with Benin court art and local stylistic features.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ram is rendered in a compact and stylized manner, with a rounded body, short legs, and a slightly elongated head. Particular emphasis is placed on the curved horns, which coil backward in a rhythmic spiral and visually frame the animal’s head. The modeling is simplified yet expressive, focusing on essential anatomical features rather than naturalistic detail. Such stylization is characteristic of metal sculptures produced in southern Nigeria between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe object was cast using the \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003elost-wax casting\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e technique, also known as the cire perdue process. In this method, the artist first models the form in beeswax, covering it with layers of clay to create a mold. When heated, the wax melts and drains away, leaving a cavity into which molten metal—usually brass or bronze—is poured. Once the metal cools and the clay mold is broken, the resulting sculpture emerges as a unique cast, since the mold cannot be reused. This technique was widely practiced in the Benin and Owo regions and enabled the production of finely detailed ritual and courtly objects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnimal figures such as rams were not merely decorative but carried symbolic significance. In many West African traditions the ram is associated with strength, vitality, and sacrificial power, qualities that connect the animal with ritual offerings and royal authority. Within the artistic context of Owo and Benin, animal sculptures could appear on altars, serve as ceremonial objects, or function as symbolic representations within ritual assemblages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bronze ram therefore illustrates both the technical mastery of regional metal casters and the complex network of artistic exchange linking Owo to the wider cultural sphere of the Benin court. Through its form and method of production, the sculpture reflects the prestige of bronze casting as a medium closely associated with political power, ritual practice, and sacred authority in the historical societies of southern\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePhilip Dark, die Kunst von Benin, Prag 1960, S. 58\/ 59, 87;\u003cbr\u003eBarbara Plankensteiner, Benin. Könige und Rituale. Höfische Kunst aus Nigeria, Wien 2007, S. 433.; British Museum, London William Fagg, Bildwerke aus Nigeria, München 1963, S. 75.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/jaenicke-njoya.com\/002.anhang\/benin.ram.plankensteiner.jpg\" width=\"447\" height=\"357\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eBritish Museum, Benin. Könige und Rituale. Höfische Kunst aus Nigeria, Wien 2007, S. 433.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTL Analyse, Kotalla, 290 years +\/.- 19,9 %\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCAB06926\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight: 54 cm\u003cbr\u003eLength: 46 cm\u003cbr\u003eWeight: 10,9 kg\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54691217703235,"sku":"CAB06926","price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0631\/3797\/2463\/files\/CAB06926.jpg?v=1785457347","url":"https:\/\/wolfgang-jaenicke.com\/products\/a-ram-figure","provider":"Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke","version":"1.0","type":"link"}