CIRCA 1600

Details

A BENIN BRONZE PLAQUE
Circa 1600
Of rectangular form, an Oba or princely chief cast in high relief, the left hand held forward holding an implement, perhaps a blacksmith's hammer, the right hand held to the side, wearing coral bead jacket, cast bracelets, the coral bead headdress with flaps to each side of the head, cylindrical projection at the top and five cylindrical beads to the front, coral bead necklaces cast in relief, the skirt, belukus, extending behind the right arm to shoulder level, with cast interwoven ornament, stylised ram's heads and other motifs, the ground with incised quatrefoils on a stippled ground, dark patina
47cm. high

Special notice

' ! ' : For each lot the Buyer's Premium is calculated as 30.505% of the hammer price up to a value of €110,000 plus 19.2% of any amount in excess of €110,000.

Lot Essay

Paula Ben Amos, The Art of Benin, London, 1995, p.56, fig.4 states: "This type of figure may be the 'carpenter in the act of striking with an axe' recorded in the Royal Gold Coast Gazette account. The axe is a blacksmith's hammer, avalaka. Scholars disagree as to the identification of the figure. Willett (1967) suggested that it might be a messenger from Ife. More recent work by Blackmun and this author suggests that it might be either a priest of the creator god or a member of the Ewua association, who call the king to 'open the day'. Both these groups wear a cross."
Cf. Read, C.H. and Dalton, O.M.: Antiquities from the City of Benin, New York, 1973, Pl.XVI

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