The regal face of the leopard inspired this cast brass lid, an excellent instance of an early work from the Kingdom of Benin, combining a refined naturalism with an ornamental surface treatment. Made by a caster in a guild, the entire surface—even the tongue—is covered with detailed designs. Concentric circles, interlocking teeth, and patterns within patterns exemplify a horror vacui aesthetic of dense decoration filling all available space. The status of the object is evident in both the prestigious metal of which it is made and the representation of the leopard, a powerful animal with royal associations. This leopard’s alert ears and piercing eyes indicate the artist’s familiarity with his subject. Functionally, this lid would have covered a container used to store small items, such as kola nuts, beads, or shells.
Though the exact dates of Benin objects are unknown, two clues to the early production of this piece are the lid’s stylistic similarity to castings of full leopard bodies at this time and the thinness of the metal. Thinner casts indicate a paucity of copper, a component of brass, which was scarce before the Edo increased trade with the Portuguese.
The artist may have been inspired by the live leopards kept in the king’s court.
