This eye-catching piece is a Benin bronze (more properly brass) plaque, which was created in the style of a 1000 year-old Nigerian tradition. Aesthetically, it is a comparatively thin copper alloy flat base, bearing the remnants of damage to the corners, there nails or other objects have been used to secure it to a backing (see below for further details). The reverse is plain. The obverse bears the much-worn image of a standing male dressed in what one can historically assume to be battle or regal regalia, including an ornate helmet, armlets, a tunic, extensive necklaces and a mace or weapon of similar design, gripped in the right hand. The detailing is essentially absent, and only the most elevated points of the cast metal have been burnished to a shine that makes it stand out from the patinated background.

Benin’s artworks are designed to honour the achievements and/or memory of the Obas, the divine rulers of the Benin polities. Until the late 19th century, the Benin centres were a ruling power in Nigeria, dominating trade routes and amassing enormous wealth as the military and economic leaders of their ancient empire. This came to a catastrophic end in 1897, when the British invented various premises for the “punitive expedition” to invade and destroy the ancient city of Benin. It was only at this point, the moment of its destruction, that the true achievements of the Benin polities became apparent to western scholars.
Soldiers sacking the city found a sprawling series of palace compounds, comprising accommodation, workshops and public buildings; each Oba built new sections onto existing structures, which were in turn decorated with artistic oeuvres that count among the very finest ever to have been executed in Africa. The technology of bronze and copper smelting, ironworking and sculpting in a range of materials that particularly included ivory was extremely refined, and had been in practice for around 1000 years. Indeed, the quality of smelting, forging and cire perdue (lost wax) metalworking methods exceeded any seen in Europe until the 19th century.
Perhaps the most valuable and remarkable objects made by the Benin craftsmen are the bronze/copper plaques that were cast in sections, assembled, and nailed to the walls to mark the achievements of the Obas. These are a perfect history of the palace system, dating from the early 16th to the 19th centuries, containing reference to all aspects of courtly life and events such as the arrival of Portuguese troops. There were once thousands of these objects, but most of them were taken as booty by British soldiers and were even auctioned off in Southampton docks. As a result, many have vanished and the remaining examples are very rare (about 900 are known). There is stylistic drift between the earliest and the latest examples, although the precise mechanism of stylistic change is uncertain.
The current example is believed to date to the very end of the 19th century, and possibly to be a reiterative piece made after the empire had collapsed. The reason for this assertion is the method of representation. All the Benin plaques that have a firm historical association were made for the Oba, who was a god in the eyes of his people. They were therefore made in as detailed and refined manner as possible, usually with high relief figures, detailed swirls on the backing plate and highly precise casting of even tiny features. While this plaque appeals to us today for its expressionist rendering of the human figure and the pleasing patination, it is not something that is likely to have found royal favour. That said, it does come from Benin, and is a charming and rather poignant echo of its imperial splendor that would be a decorative and fascinating addition to any collection or sophisticated domestic environment.