African Benin Bronze Plaque Warriors

Rare offering from a private collection of African art. The plaque
stands 12" tall. It measures 11" across the top and 11 1/2" across the
bottom. The Benin are known for their bronze work. The bronze casting
had been a royal art. The bronze casters were assigned their quarters
and made the bronzes solely for the King (Oba). Today these artists
continue to cast bronze in Benin. The Benin kingdom was founded in the
early 14th century. It is located in southern Nigeria. The art of bronze
casting was introduced around the year 1280. The Benin bronzes are
important historical evidence dating back several centuries into the
West African past. In 1897 the British invaded and took over the Benin
Palace where they found the amazing bronze work. Many pieces were
transported back to England and put on display in exhibitions and museums.
The British invasion and removal of the art from the palace exposed the
bronze masterpieces to the world. The plaques were originally cast in
matching pairs. They were nailed to the walls in the palace used as
decoration. This plaque dates post 1897 but they are not recent
castings.