{"product_id":"the-present-s-bronze-ram-head","title":"The present s bronze ram head","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"540\"\u003eThe present s bronze ram head attributed to the Benin artistic sphere from the region of Benin City in the Kingdom of Benin City belongs to the long-established metalworking tradition of the court workshops associated with present-day Edo State. “Village Jebu” suggests either a peripheral circulation context or a later collection attribution, rather than a primary production center, as Benin bronzes are historically rooted in centralized royal and guild-based casting systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"542\" data-end=\"1063\"\u003eThe object takes the form of a ram’s head, a motif that in Benin court art is closely aligned with symbolic strength, authority, and ritual vitality. The modeling typically emphasizes the powerful curvature of the horns, rendered in controlled spiral or arcing forms that frame the head with strong directional movement. The facial structure is compact and solid, reflecting the Benin tradition’s balance between natural observation and formal abstraction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1065\" data-end=\"1515\"\u003eTechnically, the sculpture is produced through the lost-wax casting process, characteristic of Benin metalwork. A wax model would have been formed over a clay core, detailed with fine surface modeling, then encased and fired to allow molten bronze or brass to replace the wax. The resulting surface often preserves subtle toolmarks from post-casting finishing, including chasing and polishing that refine the anatomical transitions and horn contours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1517\" data-end=\"1801\"\u003eSurface treatment in such works tends toward a darkened metallic patina, shaped by age, handling, and environmental exposure. In well-preserved examples, contrast between smoother facial planes and more textured horn surfaces remains visible, reinforcing the visual hierarchy of form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1803\" data-end=\"2259\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eWithin the Benin artistic system centered on Benin City, animal imagery such as the ram functions as part of a broader visual vocabulary associated with court symbolism and material expressions of status. Even when objects are recorded as coming from outlying villages like Jebu, their stylistic and technical structure typically ties them back to the centralized Benin casting tradition of Edo State.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1803\" data-end=\"2259\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eLit.: Bradbury, R. E. (1957). \u003cem data-start=\"276\" data-end=\"349\"\u003eThe Benin Kingdom and the Edo-Speaking Peoples of South-Western Nigeria\u003c\/em\u003e. London: International African Institute. Egharevba, Jacob U. (1960). \u003cem data-start=\"557\" data-end=\"583\"\u003eA Short History of Benin\u003c\/em\u003e. Ibadan University Press. Eyo, Ekpo (ed.) (1980). \u003cem data-start=\"742\" data-end=\"772\"\u003eTreasures of Ancient Nigeria\u003c\/em\u003e. Lagos: Nigerian National Museum. Dark, Philip (1973). \u003cem data-start=\"989\" data-end=\"1034\"\u003eAn Introduction to Benin Art and Technology\u003c\/em\u003e. Oxford University Press. Neaher, Nancy (1976). \u003cem data-start=\"1194\" data-end=\"1212\"\u003eThe Art of Benin\u003c\/em\u003e. London: British Museum Publications. Ben-Amos, Paula Girshick (1995). \u003cem data-start=\"1379\" data-end=\"1397\"\u003eThe Art of Benin\u003c\/em\u003e. London: British Museum Press. Metropolitan Museum of Art (2000). \u003cem data-start=\"1785\" data-end=\"1815\"\u003eThe Art of the Benin Kingdom\u003c\/em\u003e. New York: MMA Bulletin. Shaw, Thurstan (1970s–1990s excavations at Benin City). Connah, Graham (1975). \u003cem data-start=\"2343\" data-end=\"2369\"\u003eThe Archaeology of Benin\u003c\/em\u003e. Oxford University Press. Darling, P. J. (1984). “The Technology of Benin Bronze Casting.” \u003cem data-start=\"2630\" data-end=\"2644\"\u003eAfrican Arts\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCAB44039\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight: 30 cm\u003cbr\u003eWeight: 1,5 kg (incl. stand)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54496660881731,"sku":"CAB44039","price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0631\/3797\/2463\/files\/CAB44039.jpg?v=1779384965","url":"https:\/\/wolfgang-jaenicke.com\/products\/the-present-s-bronze-ram-head","provider":"Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke","version":"1.0","type":"link"}