Man with ceremonial sword
American Private Collection, New York
Description
bronze, upright static posture, large eyes with framing eyelashes, undressed aside a necklace of coral beads around the neck, narrow belt, bracelets and leg rings, lancet-shaped scarification marks in vertical arrangement on the breast, a bare head with tonsur-like hairdo, rising from a rectangular hollow base with plaited band decor around the edges, minor missing parts in the cast (base), old age patina;
free standing figures are first documented in 1823, the year Giovanni Belzoni visited Benin and sketched one of the altars. A nude figure with similar body marks is in the Benin Museum. It has been identified as “Ise of Utekon”, one of “Oba Ozolua’s” sword-bearers who rebelled against the king and was eventually defeated.
“Ozolua” and his son “Esigie” belong to the most popular and mostly venerated “Oba” of Benin. As successor of the first so-called “War King” Ewuare (ca. 1440-1473) they were decisively involved in the expansion of Benin kingdom. They both reigned in the 16th century and were looked upon as the founding fathers of Benin. The Oba was the most important patron of the arts of Benin and had a virtual monopoly on the work of many of the artist’s guilds. These guilds were incorporated into the court organization. They included blacksmiths, brasscasters, ivory and wood carvers, bead and costume makers, and leather workers among others. Benin’s court art reached its peak between the 16th and 18th century. It was either created directly for the palace shrines referring to its ritual context or it depicted historical events of Benin. Aside of brass heads and carved tusks, figural groups or tableaus and finally freestanding figures were placed on the “Obas’” ancestral altars.