Benin Style Bronze Cock, 18th Century CE - 19th Century CE
bronze
30
DK.131 (LSO)
Roosters like this one were originally placed upon the commemorative altar of a deceased queen mother (Iyoba) in one of the royal courts of Benin, Nigeria. The kingdom of Benin...
Roosters like this one were originally placed upon the commemorative altar of a deceased queen mother (Iyoba) in one of the royal courts of Benin, Nigeria. The kingdom of Benin can justifiably lay claim to having produced the finest artists and craftsmen in the history of the African continent. Yet this heritage was scarcely recognised until the British punitive expedition of 1897, which destroyed and looted the ancient city compounds and in so doing brought the achievements of Benin to the world’s attention (Bacquart 1998).
The foundation of the Benin peoples was contemporary with the European late mediaeval period, when the kingdom of Benin was founded by a descendent of an Ife king in c.1180 AD. In the 15th and 16th centuries AD the power of the empire stretched across most of West Africa, and those areas not under their control were indirectly influenced by the effect of their trade networks and material culture styles. 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. The power of this empire was unequalled in its time, and the full extent of the rulers’ wealth only became apparent in the aftermath of its destruction.
Benin art is primarily based around a court context, and was designed to venerate the achievements and/or memory of the Obas, the divine rulers of the Benin polities. The artists and craftsmen were typically attached to a specific court, and charged with manufacture of objects solely for their ruler. Their work in bronze and copper, ironworking and sculpting in a range of materials that particularly included ivory was extremely refined and effective; indeed, smelting, forging and cire perdue (lost wax) metalworking methods exceeded any seen in Europe until the 19th century. The context of the pieces varied. Brass plaques depicting Obas and their courtly lives were attached to the walls and posts of compound buildings, while smaller pieces were worn – such as hip-masks – or kept as personal talismans. However, the majority of Benin masterworks were incorporated into the commemorative altars that were constructed under the order of new Obas in memory of their deceased fathers. They were low platforms of mud, decorated with various artefacts alluding to the Oba’s achievements in life. Their features were typically recorded on one or several bronze/brass heads, which were used as supports for holding elephant tusks in a crescent across the top of the altar. Further decorations included spears, statues, cast brass pieces depicting the Oba and his followers, brass bells to awaken the spirits, rattle-staffs (ukhurhe) and magical objects that included Neolithic celts (known as “thunder stones”).
Particularly important – and perhaps domineering – queen mothers (Iyobas) were also sometimes commemorated in this way, following an edict laid down by Oba Esigie in the early 16th century (Phillips 1999: 397). The iconography and nature of the items placed upon Iyoba’s altars differs somewhat from that of their sons; brass heads representing Iyobas can always be differentiated on the basis of their tall hairstyles. Perhaps the best-known Iyoba-specific artefact is the cockerel, or Eson. The seemingly overtly male symbolism of the cockerel is misleading; the word “Eson” is an abbreviation of the praise name “Eson, Ogoro Madagba” – “the cock that crows at the head of the harem” – which was an honorific title for the Oba’s first wife and thus the mother of the future king. Her tasks included organisation and control of the harem, the training of junior wives in court etiquette, and various other administrative and political duties that give her what is probably the highest rank in Benin society – equivalent to that of a senior town chief.
This unusual interpretation of the rooster figure is remarkable for its expressionistic depiction and dynamic modelling. It is also unusual in terms of the base, which is domed and decorated with a scale-like design. The body is generally shorter and more upwardly-angled than more conventional types. The expression is alert; the head is turned to the left rather than the usual face-on depiction. The elongated, twisted-metal feet are gripping the base as if fearful of overbalancing. The form of the leg is non-sectorial, and with a prominent spur at the level of the knee. The body is disproportionately elongated towards the neck, with a short rump without the usual flamboyant arched plumage of the tail. The neck narrows to a very naturalistic head surmounted by a multi-peaked comb. The eye is protuberant, and surrounded by an elevated rim. The beak is fine and sharp, giving rise to a bilobate wattle that attached the beak to the neck. Anatomical veracity is especially weak when considering the wings, which are particularly small and would have been incapable of lifting the bird from the ground. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of this piece is the rendering of the feathers, relief semicircular shapes that are comparatively rough and energetic compared to the more reserved and staid rendering of plumage in other sculptures of this genre. Bases of these pieces are almost inevitably square/oblong, with single or double knotwork designs running around the perimeter. The current piece is distinct in shape and decoration, being dome-shaped, and decorated with semicircular shapes arranged in horizontal lines.
Oba Esigie’s edict concerning honouring of Iyobas seems to have predated the origin of the rooster by at least 100 years: the earliest known example has been radiometrically dated to 1642. However, there is little dating information for the remaining roosters, which currently number around two dozen examples, and thus stylistic characteristics are of questionable value in ascertaining chronological position. Current academic thought places the known specimens in the early-mid 18th through to the 19th centuries, but this is done primarily on the basis of decorative element matching from known-age pieces as well as patina, use-wear and metal composition. For example, high zinc content is typically a 19th century characteristic, as is the use of iron core pins. The metals for this piece have not yet been tested; a preliminary study of the style of the piece has led us to a probable date in the early to mid 19th century, with the proviso that this is subject to review and stylistic re-analysis (see Ezra 1992 for a discussion of the issues involved in dating rooster figures).
This piece is remarkable in not only embodying an ancient tradition, but doing so with remarkable sculptural power and emphasis. The rarity of authentic roosters of this sort, and the troubled times which they have seen, makes their preservation all the more remarkable. This is a diverting, attractive and ultimately supremely satisfying masterpiece of African art.
Ezra, K. 1992. Royal Art of Benin: the Perls Collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, US.
Bacquart, J. 1998. The Tribal Arts of Africa. Thames and Hudson, UK.
Phillips, T. (ed). 1999. Africa: The Art of a Continent. Prestel.
The foundation of the Benin peoples was contemporary with the European late mediaeval period, when the kingdom of Benin was founded by a descendent of an Ife king in c.1180 AD. In the 15th and 16th centuries AD the power of the empire stretched across most of West Africa, and those areas not under their control were indirectly influenced by the effect of their trade networks and material culture styles. 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. The power of this empire was unequalled in its time, and the full extent of the rulers’ wealth only became apparent in the aftermath of its destruction.
Benin art is primarily based around a court context, and was designed to venerate the achievements and/or memory of the Obas, the divine rulers of the Benin polities. The artists and craftsmen were typically attached to a specific court, and charged with manufacture of objects solely for their ruler. Their work in bronze and copper, ironworking and sculpting in a range of materials that particularly included ivory was extremely refined and effective; indeed, smelting, forging and cire perdue (lost wax) metalworking methods exceeded any seen in Europe until the 19th century. The context of the pieces varied. Brass plaques depicting Obas and their courtly lives were attached to the walls and posts of compound buildings, while smaller pieces were worn – such as hip-masks – or kept as personal talismans. However, the majority of Benin masterworks were incorporated into the commemorative altars that were constructed under the order of new Obas in memory of their deceased fathers. They were low platforms of mud, decorated with various artefacts alluding to the Oba’s achievements in life. Their features were typically recorded on one or several bronze/brass heads, which were used as supports for holding elephant tusks in a crescent across the top of the altar. Further decorations included spears, statues, cast brass pieces depicting the Oba and his followers, brass bells to awaken the spirits, rattle-staffs (ukhurhe) and magical objects that included Neolithic celts (known as “thunder stones”).
Particularly important – and perhaps domineering – queen mothers (Iyobas) were also sometimes commemorated in this way, following an edict laid down by Oba Esigie in the early 16th century (Phillips 1999: 397). The iconography and nature of the items placed upon Iyoba’s altars differs somewhat from that of their sons; brass heads representing Iyobas can always be differentiated on the basis of their tall hairstyles. Perhaps the best-known Iyoba-specific artefact is the cockerel, or Eson. The seemingly overtly male symbolism of the cockerel is misleading; the word “Eson” is an abbreviation of the praise name “Eson, Ogoro Madagba” – “the cock that crows at the head of the harem” – which was an honorific title for the Oba’s first wife and thus the mother of the future king. Her tasks included organisation and control of the harem, the training of junior wives in court etiquette, and various other administrative and political duties that give her what is probably the highest rank in Benin society – equivalent to that of a senior town chief.
This unusual interpretation of the rooster figure is remarkable for its expressionistic depiction and dynamic modelling. It is also unusual in terms of the base, which is domed and decorated with a scale-like design. The body is generally shorter and more upwardly-angled than more conventional types. The expression is alert; the head is turned to the left rather than the usual face-on depiction. The elongated, twisted-metal feet are gripping the base as if fearful of overbalancing. The form of the leg is non-sectorial, and with a prominent spur at the level of the knee. The body is disproportionately elongated towards the neck, with a short rump without the usual flamboyant arched plumage of the tail. The neck narrows to a very naturalistic head surmounted by a multi-peaked comb. The eye is protuberant, and surrounded by an elevated rim. The beak is fine and sharp, giving rise to a bilobate wattle that attached the beak to the neck. Anatomical veracity is especially weak when considering the wings, which are particularly small and would have been incapable of lifting the bird from the ground. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of this piece is the rendering of the feathers, relief semicircular shapes that are comparatively rough and energetic compared to the more reserved and staid rendering of plumage in other sculptures of this genre. Bases of these pieces are almost inevitably square/oblong, with single or double knotwork designs running around the perimeter. The current piece is distinct in shape and decoration, being dome-shaped, and decorated with semicircular shapes arranged in horizontal lines.
Oba Esigie’s edict concerning honouring of Iyobas seems to have predated the origin of the rooster by at least 100 years: the earliest known example has been radiometrically dated to 1642. However, there is little dating information for the remaining roosters, which currently number around two dozen examples, and thus stylistic characteristics are of questionable value in ascertaining chronological position. Current academic thought places the known specimens in the early-mid 18th through to the 19th centuries, but this is done primarily on the basis of decorative element matching from known-age pieces as well as patina, use-wear and metal composition. For example, high zinc content is typically a 19th century characteristic, as is the use of iron core pins. The metals for this piece have not yet been tested; a preliminary study of the style of the piece has led us to a probable date in the early to mid 19th century, with the proviso that this is subject to review and stylistic re-analysis (see Ezra 1992 for a discussion of the issues involved in dating rooster figures).
This piece is remarkable in not only embodying an ancient tradition, but doing so with remarkable sculptural power and emphasis. The rarity of authentic roosters of this sort, and the troubled times which they have seen, makes their preservation all the more remarkable. This is a diverting, attractive and ultimately supremely satisfying masterpiece of African art.
Ezra, K. 1992. Royal Art of Benin: the Perls Collection. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, US.
Bacquart, J. 1998. The Tribal Arts of Africa. Thames and Hudson, UK.
Phillips, T. (ed). 1999. Africa: The Art of a Continent. Prestel.