BENIN ART

Words are not adequate enough to express the ineffable qualities of Benin art. The motives for these works were religious, for documentation and many other purposes. Ritual sculptures over the centuries have played an extremely significant role in communication with ancestors. Spirits are localized in these sculptures and can be used to bless or curse.

Benin bronzes glorify the monarchy .Thus it is named royal court art. African art when exposed to the European artists released them from their rigid formalism. Because the Benin kings had associations with
animals, many animals were also cast in bronze. The leopard which is the symbol of the Oba represented the superiority of the king.
Cire Purdue, displaced wax method of bronze casting though complicated, is the accepted tradition. A mold is made with refractory material, molded with wax and liquid bronze is poured into intervening space to take the shape of wax. With the most numerous number of works

In bronze, wood and ivory in black Africa. Benin art was exposed to the world after the punitive expedition of 1897.Before the British came, the kingdom had well organized guilds of wood carvers, bead-makers, ivory carvers and bronze casters which was set up by Oba Oguola in 1440.Plaques, bells, alters and wide range of objects distinguished Benin arts. Its conventionalism had evidence of evolution.

Ninety percent of Benin arts are in bronze. Others are in wood, ivory. The Portuguese early visit to Benin led to plentiful supply of bronze. Memorial heads of kings, warriors, plaques, cult of the hand, (ikengobo, a mans hand signifies his power to do things and achieve success), ritual stools, queenmother and alter (The obas mother is allowed a particularly important place in the kingdom, with her own palace and special privileges), were all cast in bronze in large quantity.

In ivory, the famous mask made of a king still resides in the British museum. Gongs, leopards and pendants were also carved in ivory.
Wood carvers made the telepathic stool with which messages were sent to Oba ovoranmwen while in exile in calabar. Wooden chests are made for storing regalia.

There are different periods of Benin art. The archaic, A.D1140, early periodA.D1360, great age A.D 1550, late age 1690, modern age1820. Descendants of these great craftsmen now make a living by producing for tourists. The Obas ancestral shrines along with these craftsmen form the link between the past and future.
Arts and crafts guilds are affiliated to the iwebo palace society. The twenty one under the iwebo are, igun eronwon,igbesanmwan, igun ematon, owinan do, ogbelaka, ogbesasa,avbiogbe, aviogbe, efa, odiomwan, ikpema, ivbiosa,ivbiosun. Others are, emadase, isekpokin, igbuzebu, iwefemwen, iwoki, iwogun, ukhegie, iguisi, iviekpen and ivbekpen. For compliance, iwenekhua, iweribo, iwevien, iwosa, iwenegbon, iwezomo, iweinene are control centers.