The Portuguese arrived in Benin, in modern Nigeria, between 1472 and 1486 to find an established and ancient kingdom with remarkable social and ritual complexity, with art that was comparatively naturalistic, and with a political system that was, on the surface, recognizable to the Europeans: monarchy. Even more importantly, they found a land rich in pepper, cloth, ivory, and slaves, and immediately set out to establish trade (Ben-Amos 35-6). Though we often imagine "first contacts" between Europeans
Benin. As the Oba, he put a strong emphasis on the need of a strong army. An article stated, “under Ewuare’s rule…Benin changed dramatically (US History).” As a civilization, they began to create a powerful military and started expanding their kingdom by winning land from surrounding civilizations. Ewuare was only the first of several great warrior kings, after Ewuare came his son, Ozolua. Oba Ozolua was historically known for being victorious in nearly two hundred battles. After Oba Ozolua
importance of the symbol in the culture of the people of Benin. In the plaque, there is an Oba holding two leopards, which was an image that was explored in the film. In the film, the symbols were decoded for the culture of the Dogon people; In the Dogon context, the leopard represented the clan of one man, and if a leopard was harmed, it would translate to detriment upon his family. It could be probable that because the Dogon and the people of Benin had similar functions for the symbol of the snake, that
Carved Ivory Tusks from the Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria INTRODUCTION The kingdom of Benin is used to be the most powerful kingdom in the west of Niger River. Benin rulers, which is also called Oba, are always attributed to their great spiritual power. This kind of spiritual power is transmitted by these altars. The carved ivory tusks are supported by the brass heads of kings and queen mothers. These brass heads are also casted according to each ruler’s achievement and individual characters (Blier
This essay deals with the nature of a cross cultural encounter between the Benin people and Portuguese traders in the 15th and 16th centuries, which resulted in the depiction of Portuguese figures in Benin brass plaques. It will propose that this contact between people with different cultures was on the basis of 'mutual regard' (Woods, K. 2008, p. 16), and although the Portuguese had qualms about idolatry in Benin it will show that assumptions by Europeans up to the 20th century of the primitive
Ade of Onijagbo Obasoro Alowolodu Yoruba, is one of the three largest ethnic groups of Nigeria. It is concentrate in the southwestern part of Nigeria, but there are smaller, scattered groups of people living in parts of Benin and northern Togo. Currently, there are more than 20 million Yoruba people, but overall they speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family. There are 900 languages of the Benue-Congo Branch that are further divided up into 11 unequal groups,
Modern day Benin is located along the Western coast of Africa. Benin is only 112,622 square kilometers, making it one of Africa’s smallest countries. Benin today however, differs significantly from the kingdom that it was during the pre-colonial and colonial periods. The people, culture, and government have all changed due to colonization. (The World Fact Book, 2014) The great kingdom of Dahomey once resided where Benin is today. Dahomey’s origins can be traced back to the 1600s, during which two
sculpture could have been identified by his ibol, a royal mark that was exposed at the moment of his coronation. Portraits that used personal and historical motifs are also found among the cast brass and carved ivory sculptures of the kingdom of Benin. Obas (kings) and other citizens of the court were identified from one another through costume and ceremonial equipment as well as variations in scale and the most important sculpture in a gathering was the largest one. However, other motifs were used
1. Mask of Agamemnon, size 12” (35cm), Location Mycenae, Greece, Date 1600-1500 BCE. The medium used is Gold. Hip Pendant of the Iyoba (Queen Mother) Idia, size 9 3/8 (23.8), Location Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, Date 16th Century CE. Medium Ivory, iron, and copper. 2. The Mask of Agamemnon illustrates the flat face of a man, the color is gold since is made out of gold material. The face is long and you can appreciate a wide forehead. The nose, however, has dimension, it is fine and pointy. The lips
According to the text, “This Pendant Mask portrays a Queen Mother who stares out with a serene expression” (Frank, 329). It is said that this mask was created to honor the mother of King Oba of Benin. In this case, ivory was used both as the medium and the value because it represents purity. In the center of the mask there are two lines carved into her forehead representing scarification marks. One article states, “The face is framed with intricate
The Journey of Knowledge In David Northrup’s Africa’s discover of Europe, he gives an overview of the encounter between Africans and Europeans from 140-1850. Africans played a huge role of the globalizing of cultural and economic transactions. The first encounters between the two continents were mutual. Both parties tried to gain from each other through their transactions. The purpose of this book is to inform readers that we shouldn’t look at Africans as the victim, rather as an active contributor
There are tales of women and the story of tortoise and his ambition to fly in the sky, which faces tragic end for his cunningness with birds. There is another story of a bird eneke-nti-oba who challenged the whole world to a wrestling contest and was finally thrown by the cat. These folktales are deeply rooted with Nigerian national cultural awareness. The songs are very deeply related with Igbo land and their culture. One can feel the