Two Esieku Figures

Two Esieku Figures, normally depicted as a couple, in the style of Benin. In Benin, physical deformities were traditionally associated with certain functions in the palace. Dwarfism fits the position of court jesters perfectly because it was considered amusing in itself, as it was in European courts.

They are also referred to as Akaeronmwon, which indicates their function as collectors of news for the Oba. Despite their direct relationship to the Oba, they did not have the rank of nobles and were valued for their relationship to the underworld, witches and other spirit beings. Whether these bronzes stood on altars is uncertain and is a matter of conjecture.

The dwarves are in relatively good condition. Some holes, which are probably caused by corrosion, and a large dent on the back of the head of one of the dwarves are documented by corresponding photos.

The two anthropomorphic bronze figures housed in the Weltmuseum Wien under the title “Court Dwarfs” are among the earliest preserved bronzes from the Kingdom of Benin (present-day Nigeria). They are believed to have been created in the 15th century, during a period when Benin’s court art was deeply shaped by the establishment of a new royal order under Oba Ewuare I¹. Both figures are made of brass using the lost-wax casting technique, a method already well established in Benin by the 13th century for the production of courtly sculpture².

The depiction of individuals with dwarfism constitutes a striking exception within the artistic traditions of Benin. These are lifelike, non-caricatural representations of physical difference. In Benin culture, physical distinctiveness was not necessarily associated with marginalization; on the contrary, it could be imbued with spiritual significance or ritual authority³. Court dwarfs were closely integrated into the political and ceremonial life of the royal palace. Their duties included mediating between the Oba and his subjects, especially in situations that required delicate or encoded communication⁴. Their physical appearance, which symbolically set them apart from the “norm,” allowed them to operate as liminal figures mediating between the sacred and the profane⁵.

It is likely that the individuals represented were historical persons who, due to their proximity to the Oba and their public visibility, held key roles in court rituals during their lifetimes. Their figural rendering in bronze is indicative not only of their elevated status, but also of the symbolic importance of physical difference within Benin’s political system⁶. The presence of these figures in a prestigious medium such as metal casting underscores the degree to which such roles were formalized and valorized at court.

The two anthropomorphic bronze figures housed in the Weltmuseum Wien under the title “Court Dwarfs” are among the earliest preserved bronzes from the Kingdom of Benin (present-day Nigeria). They are believed to have been created in the 15th century, during a period when Benin’s court art was deeply shaped by the establishment of a new royal order under Oba Ewuare I¹. Both figures are made of brass using the lost-wax casting technique, a method already well established in Benin by the 13th century for the production of courtly sculpture².

The depiction of individuals with dwarfism constitutes a striking exception within the artistic traditions of Benin. These are lifelike, non-caricatural representations of physical difference. In Benin culture, physical distinctiveness was not necessarily associated with marginalization; on the contrary, it could be imbued with spiritual significance or ritual authority³. Court dwarfs were closely integrated into the political and ceremonial life of the royal palace. Their duties included mediating between the Oba and his subjects, especially in situations that required delicate or encoded communication⁴. Their physical appearance, which symbolically set them apart from the “norm,” allowed them to operate as liminal figures mediating between the sacred and the profane⁵.

It is likely that the individuals represented were historical persons who, due to their proximity to the Oba and their public visibility, held key roles in court rituals during their lifetimes. Their figural rendering in bronze is indicative not only of their elevated status, but also of the symbolic importance of physical difference within Benin’s political system⁶. The presence of these figures in a prestigious medium such as metal casting underscores the degree to which such roles were formalized and valorized at court.

The two figures entered European collections in the context of the British punitive expedition against Benin in 1897, during which the royal palace was looted and hundreds of objects were taken as war booty⁷. Since the early 20th century, they have been part of the Weltmuseum Wien's collection. Their contemporary exhibition serves as a case study in the broader discourse surrounding colonial provenance and the restitution of African cultural heritage. They stand not only as expressions of exceptional artistic achievement but also as witnesses to a violently disrupted cultural continuum, the implications of which continue to be addressed in current provenance research and restitution debates⁸.

¹ Paula Girshick Ben-Amos: The Art of Benin, London 1995, pp. 33–37.
² Barbara Plankensteiner (ed.): Benin – Kings and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria, Vienna 2007, p. 72.
³ Ekpo Eyo: Two Thousand Years of Nigerian Art, Lagos 1977, p. 91.
⁴ Suzanne Preston Blier: Royal Arts of Africa, London 1998, pp. 124–126.
⁵ Babatunde Lawal: “Oba Is King: Reflections on Yoruba and Benin Aesthetics,” in: African Arts, Vol. 25, No. 3 (1992), p. 34.
⁶ Peter Junge (ed.): Benin Bronzes: Gods, Kings and Heroes of Africa, Berlin 2005, pp. 51–53.
⁷ Dan Hicks: The Brutish Museums. The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution, London 2020, pp. 39–42.
⁸ Bénédicte Savoy: Africa’s Struggle for its Art: History of a Postcolonial Defeat, Munich 2021, pp. 145–148.

Felix von Luschan: Die Altertümer von Benin, Band 1, Berlin 1919, S. 299/ 300.
Philip J. C. Dark: An introduction to Benin art and technology, Oxford 1973, S. 97.
Paula Girshick Ben-Amos: The art of Benin, London 1995, S. 43.
Barbara Plankensteiner( Editor): Benin. Könige und Rituale. Höfische Kunst aus Nigeria, Wien 2007, S. 308 - 311.

"While one dwarf is depicted with realistically modeled eyes, including visible pupils that convey a vivid sense of individuality and presence, the other dwarf shows only hollow eye sockets without any indication of pupils. This striking difference is very likely symbolically significant and invites multiple interpretations.


"The image of a fragmentary dwarf head, which was collected by Luschan and is located today in the Humboldt Forum, shows, especially in profile, clear features of a chimpanzee with its flattened nose and protruding lower jaw. One possibility is that the figure with hollow eyes represents a blind dwarf, a condition which in many cultures can connote heightened spiritual perception or otherness. Another interpretation, well attested in African art traditions, is that of a hybrid or chimera figure—a being combining human and animal traits. Such hybrids often symbolize liminal entities that mediate between different realms of existence and frequently serve protective or ritual functions. Thus, the depiction of a dwarf with hollow eyes could emphasize the figure’s otherness or special status within the royal court’s cosmology.."wj

Height: 66 cm / 65 cm
Weight: 12,8 kg / 12,1 kg