Standing Oba, late 18th century
Edo
Benin City is the center of an ancient culture that has flourished for centuries in southern Nigeria. From the early seventeenth century there are accounts by Europeans of the extensive architectural use of cast metal (actually brass) relief panels and other objects.
The king, known as the Oba, is the central figure in the Benin kingdom and a frequent subject of Benin royal artwork. The Oba’s ancestors were gods, and it is believed that he controls the forces that affect the well-being of the entire kingdom. The Kimbell sculpture portrays an Oba dressed in full ceremonial regalia. The beads that made up his chest covering, his high neckpiece, and the net-form headdress were actually made of coral. The gong-shaped proclamation staff in his left hand was made either of brass or ivory, while the ceremonial sword in his right hand was of brass. The Oba danced with a sword to honor his ancestors. In this work, his power is emphasized by the representation of six small swords in relief on the blade of the ceremonial sword, and by the alternating images of a sword and stylized heads of Portuguese soldiers on the Oba’s kilt. As the Portuguese arrived in Benin by sea, the inclusion of Portuguese heads in the regalia of the Oba also symbolized the wealth he gained through foreign trade and his affiliation with Olokun, god of the sea.
Adult: Standing Oba
La ciudad de Benín es el centro de una antigua civilización que ha prosperado durante siglos en el sur de Nigeria. Ya desde principios del siglo XVII los europeos dieron cuenta del exhaustivo uso arquitectónico del metal fundido (en realidad, latón) en paneles en relieve y otros objetos.
El rey, conocido como el Oba, es la figura central del Reino de Benín y sujeto frecuente del arte regio de Benín. Los ancestros del Oba eran dioses, y se cree que él controla las fuerzas que afectan al bienestar de todo el reino. En esta escultura del Kimbell se representa al Oba en su vestimenta ceremonial. Las cuentas que componen la pechera, el alto collar y el tocado en forma de red estaban, en realidad, hechos de coral. El bastón de mando en forma de gong que lleva en la mano izquierda estaba elaborado en latón o marfil, en tanto que la espada ceremonial que lleva en la mano derecha era de latón. El Oba bailaba con una espada para honrar a sus ancestros. En esta obra, su poder se ve reforzado por la representación en relieve de seis pequeñas espadas sobre la hoja de la espada ceremonial, así como por las imágenes alternadas de una espada y de cabezas estilizadas de soldados portugueses en la falda del Oba. Como los portugueses llegaron a Benín por mar, incluir las cabezas de portugueses en el atuendo ceremonial del Oba también simboliza las riquezas que obtuvo gracias al comercio con el extranjero y su relación con Olokun, dios del mar.
Probably commissioned by a member of the court of Benin in the late 18th century;
taken from the Royal Palace, Benin City, during the British military occupation of Benin, 1897;
acquired by the Liverpool Museum, England, 1897;
purchased by Lt. General Lt.-General Augustus Henry Pitt-Rivers (1827-1900) by 1900 and kept at the Pitt-Rivers Museum, Farnham, Dorset, England, until the 1960s;
passed by descent within the family and sold upon the dispersal of the collection;
purchased by (Ben Heller, Inc., New York) by 1970;
purchased by Kimbell Art Foundation, Fort Worth, 1970.