Fragment of a pectoral · Nigeria, Benin - Edo · ID: 3037188

Name: Fragment of a pectoral
SKU: 3037188
Price: 7800 EUR
Availability: SoldOut

sold EUR 7,800

Provenance

Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, leader of the Benin Expedition of 1897 (a punitive expedition in response to the defeat of a previous British-led invasion force under General James Philips. Rawson’s troops captured, burned, and looted Benin City, bringing to an end the west African Kingdom of Benin. As a result much of the country’s art, including the Benin bronzes, was either destroyed, looted or dispersed.

Size

H: 17 cm

H: 6.7 inch

Description

bronze, part of a plaque with standing figure, wearing an elaborate decorated vestment with short skirt, headdress with ear flaps and broad chin strap, the right arm of the figure once standing to the right preserved, eyelets around the rim once holding bracelets with bells, old age patina, metal base;
presumably coming from a triade, which according to a strict hierarchical canon always shows an “Oba” and two dignitaries “enobore” who support him. Triads are considered the most important royal representations in the art of Benin. The assistance the king receives by the two “enobore”, is seen as the custom, to save the king from a fall which would bring about desaster for the kingdom. In another version the triad stands for the responsibility of the people, to assist the king in his heavy burden he has to take for the wellbeing of the kingdom.
A similar pectoral is pictured at Plankensteiner, 2007, p. 392.

The object Fragment of a pectoral with the object ID 3037188 was part of the auction 77th tribal art auction on June 28, 2014. The object with the lot number 262 achieved a sales price of EUR 7,800 with an asking price of EUR 2,000.

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