In the Edo language, the verb sa-e-y-ama means ‘to remember’, but its literal translation is ‘to cast a motif in bronze’. At the court of Benin, art in bronze perpetuates...
In the Edo language, the verb sa-e-y-ama means ‘to remember’, but its literal translation is ‘to cast a motif in bronze’. At the court of Benin, art in bronze perpetuates memory; traditionally, the first commissions of every Benin king are sculptures in bronze and ivory for his father’s memorial altar. This imposing brass sculpture of a man on horseback was made by a master metalworker of the ancient kingdom of Benin. These figures usually represent Obas (the polity’s hereditary God-Kings), and have been known to have been produced at least since the 16th century. The general aspects of the piece are traditional, such as the armour and adornments on the horse, the general proportions of the man and his mount, and the fine abstract detailing to the base. Patination is uniform.
The iconography of the king riding a horse is related to the annual apparition of the Oba outside the palace, when he presented himself to his people flanked by attendants. This particular ceremonial is attested since at least the 17th century.
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 changed with the appearance of British imperial forces, which coveted the wealth of the royal palaces and found a series of excuses to mount a punitive expedition against the Oba’s forces in 1897. It was only at this point, the moment of its destruction, that the true achievements of the Benin polities became apparent to western scholars.
This beautiful sculpture testifies to the artistic refinement of the artisans of Benin during the early 20th century, a period of 'renaissance' in the art of Benin after the British punitive expedition of 1897. In the early 20th century, under the reign of the Oba Eweka II the Benin Arts and Crafts School was established, providing a new focal point for the transmission of the cultural heritage of the kingdom to new generations and ensuring the survival of the rich artistic traditions of Benin.
Benin royal palaces comprised a sprawling series of compounds containing accommodation, workshops and public buildings. As it grew, the buildings pertaining to previous Obas were either partially refurbished or left in favour of newer constructions; this led to a long history of royal rule written in sculptural works that rank among Africa’s finest; until European industrial advances in the 19th century, they were the finest bronzes that ever made. Sculptures such as this were placed on the commemorative altars of dead Obas, which were decorated with various artefacts alluding to the Oba’s achievements in life. Altar pieces include heads, figures such as this, spears, cast brass objects 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”).
This is a striking and well-made piece of African court art, and would be at home in any sophisticated setting or collection of African sculptures.