In numerous cultures around the world, those with physical differences were treated as special. Individuals with dwarfism and otherwise reduced stature were especially prized as companions to monarchs from ancient times through to the Eighteenth Century AD. We may think of the dwarf Seneb, an official in the administration of the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Djedefre in Egypt, whose statue and tomb demonstrate the prestige and wealth he attained despite his achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism. His tomb statue, depicting Seneb alongside his wife Senetites and their two children, depicts his condition realistically and sympathetically, without any of the caricaturish patronisation of some later depictions of dwarves. Or one might think of the later Eighteenth Century AD court dwarf Nobu, an African page at the Palace of Versailles under Louis XIV. His personal significance to Queen Marie-Thérèse was so great that he was accused by numerous individuals of having cuckolded King Louis under his own roof, fathering Louise Marie-Thérèse, the so-called ‘Black Nun of Moret’, with the Queen herself. This prestige was partly, no doubt, driven by a kind of fascination with physical difference, with which modern people would try to distance themselves. And, indeed, many monarchs wished to surround themselves with all kinds of unique and interesting people as part of their entourage, in order to demonstrate their wealth and power. But in many cultures, dwarves were seen as a physical connector between the world of the living and the supernatural or spiritual world, possessed of special powers and under the particular protection of a god or gods. They became something akin to talismans – one might think, for example, of the Egyptian dwarf-god Bes, whose fearsome aspect was used as a protective charm for children and pregnant mothers.

In the complex and rigid court hierarchy of the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Nigeria, court dwarves served precisely this kind of function. They were often jesters or messengers, who served both as a close confidant of the King (Oba) himself, as well as an intermediary between the Royal Household – which was notoriously closed-off – and the outside world. Their participation was expected at major royal events, especially the annual Igue Festival, where the Oba was presented to his people at the gates of the Palace. In other processions, or at the coronations of Obas or Queen-Mothers (Iyobas), dwarves provided acrobatic or comedic entertainment. They held a privileged role in Benin society, given their close access to the Oba and his council of advisers, which afforded them a certain level of influence and protection. With their unique status – somewhere between nobleman and commoner – came material and social benefits. They were often recipients of gifts from the Oba himself, or from visiting dignitaries, and lived in better conditions than the average Benin subject. However, if there were ructions in the court, or the dwarf fell out of the Oba’s personal favour, the consequences could be dire.

Due to their unique physical appearance and social stature, court dwarfs – an official position in the Benin hierarchy, known as Olotu Omu – were a popular subject in art. Even when the practice died out, some time after the British punitive expedition of AD 1897 burned down Benin City and began dismantling the traditional power structures, the cultural memory of their role was strong, and their position was warmly remembered. This remarkable figure post-dates the British punitive expedition, but demonstrates the mastery of Benin craftsmen of the so-called Benin Renaissance, a period of revival largely spearheaded by Eweka II and his Arts and Crafts Guild. The material is an especially hard and dense wood known as ironwood, a term used for a variety of dense woods, but which in an African context almost always refers to the tropical hardwood of the Prosopis africana. The figure represents a dwarf, as is clear from his large head and stocky proportions, as well as his stance with elbows bent and shoulders hunched. This was, it seems, a characteristic pose for dwarves in Benin art. The individual depicted is nonetheless handsome and well-appointed, with a chinstrap beard and short hair that serve as an indicator of age and status. His large eyes are wide open, and his fairly athletic build – with only a slight stomach – imbues the figure with liveliness, and reflects his role in performing acrobatics for the court. He short and stocky legs, bent at the knee, are characteristic of Benin art, but also serve to highlight the proportions brought about by his condition. His distended abdomen and prominent navel associate this figure with other kinds of ancestor statues, where the umbilical link between the ancestors and the living is emphasised through such features. This may indicate that this is supposed to be a specific portrait of an individual court dwarf. He wears a beaded necklace and another, longer necklace with a heavy pendant, both carefully rendered, and a loincloth decorated with hammered bronze, which – when new – would have shone in the Nigerian sun, giving an indication of movement, perhaps to mimic the exuberant athletics of dwarves on state occasions.