Ivory Tusks Of Benin In Nigeria

1036 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The art of benin

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 65). According to the professor Henry Drewal, art of the kingdom Benin is excavated in the west of the Nigeria. It mainly made with ivories and bronze. Benin Art has three periods of time: early, middle, and late. Early/ Warrior Kind period is between …show more content…

Ogiso is 1300 years earlier than the foundation of today dynasty. Oba Ewuare, a king in this dynasty in the middle of fifteenth century, strongly support ivory carving and other “visual code” that can show the authority of king (Egharevabe 1). However, regardless this long history of ivory carving, the carved ivory tusks didn’t appear until eighteenth century. According to the record, the first two tusks are both from the ruler called Akengbuda. One is for his father Eresonyen while another one is for his grandfather Akenzua I. There are two tusks in the Perls collection, which are also in the Metropolitan Museum. These two tusks belongs to Obas Eweka II and Akenzua II for honoring their fathers (Blackmun 187-192).
MAIN FUNCTION Carved with the image of kings, queen mothers, leopards and warrior, the carved ivory tusk is from the kingdom Benin in Nigeria. It is an object recorded the supreme power and achievement of former kings. In the kingdom of Benin, after a king died, his son will inherit his throne. Then the new king will choose motifs that can represent his father and his kingdom and carved it on tusks to remind people of him. These tusks are always put in the altar of former kings established by his son and supported by the brass heads of kings and queen mothers (Dark …show more content…

In these tow tusks, these motifs are static figures carved in staying in distinguishable rows. The most important motifs are put in the center of each rows. Only be able to read from the bottom to the top, these figures are carved orderly and recognizable (Dark 52). This book takes the tusks belonged to Oba Ovonrramwen as an example. This tusk’s motifs only have six rows in the shape of fingertip. In the center of the bottom row, it is a typical figure in Benin art which will regarded as a kind of official in palace called Ewua, or the priest of Osanobua called Ohensa which is the high god of Benin. These two are both the symbol of origin of the kingdom of Benin (Dark 52). Similarly, in row 3, there is also a common motif which can be found on the art of Benin. Oba stays in the center of two identical figure with his hands and arms grabbed by these two supporter. These two supporter are the high priest of the kingdom of Benin named Osa and Osuan. It represents that Oba needs the support from his people (Dark

Show More
Related

  • Tomb Of Pairy Analysis

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    Information from the textbook and Hays’s article help illuminate the events depicted and their significance in culture and art of the New Kingdom, and how the style ties into the art of the time.

    Read More

  • Statue Of Nykara Analysis

    643 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Ancient Egyptian sculpture, “Statue of Nykara and His Family”, was sculpted during the late fifth dynasty. The sculpture is a depiction of Nykara, his wife, Nubkau, and son, Ankhma-Re. The statue is in poor condition with pieces of limestone missing and chips on the three subject’s faces and bodies. The painted limestone shows the conventional colors for the male and female subjects. There is a clear discoloration among Nykara and his son’s bodies. The brownish red color they once were has eroded to a light yellowish color, which resembles the purposeful color of Nykara’s wife. The hieroglyphs on Nykara’s seat insinuate that the sculpture is meant to be viewed from the front view. This is also evident by the way the three subjects are facing forward in frontal view. There are hieroglyphs on both the chair and base of the statue near Nykara’s wife and son’s feet.

    Read More

  • African Art: A Cycle Of Life

    1411 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many African cultures see life as a cycle we are born, we grow and mature, enter adulthood, and one day we will eventually die but the cycle continues long after death. In Africa art is used as a way to express many things in their society, in this paper I will focus on different ways traditional African art are used to describe the cycle of one’s life. Since Africa is such a large continent it is important to keep in mind that every country and tribe has different rituals and views when it comes to the cycle of life. It is estimated to be well over a thousand different ethnic groups and cultures in Africa today. Thousands of cultures in Africa see the stages of life bound together in a continuous cycle; a cycle of birth, growth, maturity,

    Read More

  • The Art of Benin

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    http://www.arm.arc.co.uk/britishBenin.html Negritude http://www.nigerdeltadirectory.com/websiteseminars/negritude.html http://www.culturekiosque.com/calendar/item14966.html http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/negritude/ (Accessed 14.02.11). African Art http://www.jpanafrican.com/ (Accessed 14.02.11). Benin Massacre http://www.dawodu.com/igbinedion3.htm http://www.arm.arc.co.uk/britishBenin.html http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/anthony-okosun/the-glory-of-benin-kingdom-and-the-shame-of-the-british-empire.html. http://books.google.co.uk (Benin Diplomatic Handbook By USA International Business Publications).

    Read More

  • The Bamana Boli in Mali

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Boli, or altar, figure from the Bamana peoples of Mali is a unique piece of art not based on what an individual knows about the figure, but rather what it doesn’t. The Boli has a secretive quality that harnesses energy from the community and peoples reactions to the Boli can fluctuate based on their interpretations of the object. The Boli is made of materials ranging from human bodily fluid to sticks and string. The figure is generally made to resemble an animal, typically a hippopotamus or cow, but over time with sacrificial material covering the figure it can become somewhat unclear. The Bamana peoples have an obscure relationship with the Boli for many reasons that could sprout from the materials it is made from, its uses in the society, and its extremely secretive nature.

    Read More

  • Comparison Essay

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    In regards to subject matter, both pieces of sculpture are of leaders, Mycerinus and Kha-merer-nebty II were the pharaoh and queen of Egypt around 2500 BCE., and Caesar Augustus was the Emperor of Rome from September 23, 63 BCE to August 19, 14 CE., shown in this work as a general from Primaport, Italy.

    Read More

  • The Significance of Benin Art and Artifacts

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Benin artwork seen in museums around the world today was systematically plundered from Benin City by the British in 1897 as part of a punitive expedition in reprisal for the massacre of an overzealous Trade Delegation. The British acquired over 2400 objects from and around the Oba’s palace which were split between the army officers involved as ‘War Booty’ and the British Government who auctioned off many of the finest pieces to pay for the expedition.

    Read More

  • The Brass Plaques of the Benin Palace

    2152 Words  | 5 Pages

    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 and Africans as clashes of epochal proportions, leaving Europeans free to manipulate and coerce the flabbergasted and paralyzed Africans, this misjudges the resilience and indeed, preparedness, of the Benin people. The Benin were able to draw on their cultural, political, and religious traditions to fit the European arrival in an understandable context. Indeed, as the great brass plaques of the Benin palace demonstrate, the arrival was in fact manipulated by the Benin to strengthen, not diminish, indigenous royal power.

    Read More

  • Ivory Diptych Essay

    879 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ivory forms most of the animals’ teeth and tusks. They has been used for millennia as a material for carving sculpture as decorative art such as on religious objects, illuminated manuscripts, boxes, and most commonly ivory diptychs. The art of ivory diptychs has become the part of the cultures of several civilizations that includes Egypt, Ancient Greece, Rome, Japan, Russia, India, and China. In addition, the production of the ivory diptychs has been an integral element of Islamic art and also the Medieval Period as well as during the Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance periods. The ivory was traded from the rich places about elephants, mammoths and hippopotamus such as Africa, from Ethiopia, and also India (Cutler 1994).

    Read More

  • The Benin Bronzes

    1669 Words  | 4 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... The side lighting emphasises the detail and aesthetic qualities of the sculptures and strongly suggests that they should be viewed and compared with works such as 14th and 15th century Italian altar pieces or eastern Orthodox Triptych icons, regarded as stunning art and, therefore, exhibited in national art galleries, even though their original function was routine religious ceremony, as probably was that of the bronzes. This suggests that the best case for the retention of the British Benin sculptures is to accord them the unique status they deserve as exceptional artworks and exhibit them appropriately in a prestigious national art gallery, for everyone to appreciate fully. Works Cited Flinders, P. and Holman, K. and others, (2012) AA100 'Tutorial Forum Book 3, Weeks, 1 and 2' – Benin, online at http://learn.open.ac.uk/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=900850, accessed between 4 and 17 February, 2015.

    Read More

  • Negative Effects Of Hip Hop

    1291 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is essential in representing the strong african heritage and it 's importance can be seen in many aspects of culture (Gaines 1).

    Read More

  • Universal Symbolism in Things Fall Apart

    1172 Words  | 3 Pages

    Achebe uses the symbol of tribal drums to show the flourishing culture and life that Umuofia experiences before the Europeans arrive. The symbol of drums is often present during cultural gatherings and celebrations in Umuofia. During the feast, which marks a new harvest year, “drums [are] still beating, persistent and unchanging. Their sound [is] no longer a separate thing from the living village” (104). Drums distinctly relate to the culture and traditions of the village. Moreover, the “persistent and unchanging” beat to the drums also reflects the unity of the society, and how the tribe currently operates (104). These traditions are unique to Umuofia and are an integral part of African culture. However, this unchanging and pe...

    Read More

  • The Assyrian Sacred Tree

    1925 Words  | 4 Pages

    The “Sacred Tree,” (fig. 1) was originally positioned behind the king’s throne. The scene shows two genii, sometimes with birds’ heads and sometimes with men’s heads and the horned hats of gods. Each of the winged figures holds a bucket and reaches out with an oval object toward a stylized “tree.” The composition has been read as being based on bilateral symmetry, with the vertical stalk-like structure crowned by a palmette. A meticulous examination reveals that although balanced, it has many discrepancies on both sides that deviate from perfect mirror symmetry. Ashurnasirpal appears twice, shown from two sides, dressed in ceremonial robes and holding a mace connoting his authority. The figure of the king on the right makes an invocative gesture a god in a winged disk in the top center of the relief. Ashur, the national god or Shamash, the god of the sun and justice, may be identified as the god who confers the king divine right. On the left, the king holds a ring, an ancient Mesopotamian symbol of divine kingship, in one...

    Read More

  • Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...’s depictions of both traditional and modern beliefs in varying degrees illustrate the importance of both in contemporary Nigerian culture, as well as the greater Africa as a whole, and how both are intertwined and cannot exist without the other. In effect, she skillfully subverts stereotypes or single perceptions of Africa as backward and traditional, proving instead, the multifaceted culture of Africa. She further illustrates that neither traditional African nor western culture is necessarily detrimental. It is the stark contrast of the fundamental cultures that inevitably leads to clashes and disagreements. In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Art

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most art has some sort of reason or purpose behind it. It might be religious, symbolic, literal, traditional, customary, or just a preference by the artist. Most African art has a symbolic reason. Masks, pottery, figures, portraits, jewelry, baskets and clothing reflect the religious belief of the different tribes. Africans believed that everything in nature is alive. For example: rocks, grass, plants, trees, rivers and mountains. African art was not popular and was looked down upon until recently. In Nigeria, people were tattooed as a test of courage. The figure- “Portrait Head of a King (Oni)” reflects this. The King has this tattooing on his entire face. The King has big slanted eyes, a prominent nose, and big full lips. All these things represented something to the Nigerian people; the King...

    Read More

More about Ivory Tusks Of Benin In Nigeria

Open Document