What materials were used in Benin art?
What materials were used in Benin art?
The materials used in Benin’s royal arts—primarily brass, ivory, and coral—are endowed with sacred power. The innate value of these materials within Benin and the time and skill that is invested in working them reflect the earthly and otherworldly influence of the Oba and the great wealth of his kingdom.
What are characteristics of Benin art?
Characteristics of Benin Art
- Beaded Neck.
- Mark on forehead.
- Semi naturalistic.
- It is the only art culture that has ivory.
- Mostly royal figures.
- Highly decorative.
Which kingdom was famous for its art in both bronze and ivory?
The court of the Benin kingdom, located in Benin City, Nigeria, supported two guilds of artists who created masterpieces in bronze and ivory. Founded around the year 900, by the 15th century the kingdom grew to encompass an area the size of New England, with more than 2 million subjects.
What is unique about the bronze bust of Queen Idia?
The bronze originates from the Kingdom of Benin (now part of modern-day Nigeria) and features Iyoba Idia’s unique and self-invented ukpe-okhue curved conical headdress. After her death, this bronze was used at altars to commemorate her service to the Kingdom.
What was the intended context for the bronze plaques from Benin?
The plaques show aspects of Benin court life in the sixteenth century, shortly after Europe’s first contact with West Africa. The plaques show how the people of Benin perceived the Portuguese traders and their soldiers, with their pointed noses, thin faces and beards and strange clothes.
What is the Benin Kingdom known for?
The historical kingdom of Benin was established in the forested region of West Africa in the 1200s C.E. According to history, the Edo people of southern Nigeria founded Benin. Artists of the Benin Kingdom were well known for working in many materials, particularly brass, wood, and ivory.
Who is Iyoba idia?
Iyoba Idia was a woman who was one of Africa’s pioneering leaders. The kingdom and the era she lived in was characterised by a deep-rooted male dominance of all things political. Her achievements are the envy of any leader, of any nation, in any era, and of any gender.
What is the name of the artistic technique that the Benin people used to show important people as larger than others?
hierarchic scale
This convention of sizing human figures based on status is known as “hierarchic scale” and is found in artwork from cultures around the world and across time. The Oba would have travelled with a large cohort of attendants, warriors, servants, diplomats, chieftains, and priests.
What can we learn from the Benin Bronzes?
Produced over the course of roughly 500 years, the Benin bronzes provide an aesthetically rich record of life in the thriving Benin kingdom, located in the tropical forests of what is now south-central Nigeria. They show the evolution of the empire’s second dynasty, which is believed to have begun in the 13th century and continues to this day.
What are some examples of Art in the Kingdom of Benin?
Art in the Kingdom of Benin took many forms, of which bronze and brass reliefs and the heads of kings and queen mothers are the best known. Bronze receptacles, bells, ornaments, jewelry, and ritual objects also possessed aesthetic qualities and originality, demonstrating the skills of their makers,…
When did sculpture in Benin begin?
Because much of Benin’s history has been passed down orally over centuries, scholars offer differing accounts of when and how certain events and changes occurred, including the development of metal sculpture into an integral part of Benin’s royal culture. Some attribute the rise of bronze casting to the rule of Oba Oguola in the late 13th century.
Is the British Museum stealing Benin Bronzes?
Because of the vast number of Benin Bronzes in its collection, the British Museum has repeatedly been the subject of protests from activists, scholars, and artists who claim that the institution owns stolen property.