Benin plaques commemorate notable military or religious occasions and feature kings, court attendants, and warriors of the mighty African kingdom of Benin, which was founded more than a thousand years ago. Two-dimensional sculptures are rare in African art from south of the Sahara, and the idea may have been introduced as early as the late 1400s by the Portuguese. This example portrays a high-ranking officer with a ceremonial sword in his left hand, a spear in his right, and a sheathed sword at his waist. The intricate design of his collar suggests coral beads, jutting leopard teeth, and a broad brass bell, all symbols of rank. The plaque was cast using the lost-wax technique: a model in beeswax is covered with clay, allowed to dry, then heated to melt the wax away, leaving a space in which to pour the molten brass.
Benin political and religious life centered around the Oba, a divine king. Court art was also closely related to the king, who controlled the distribution of precious resources such as coral, ivory, and copper, known as the "red gold of Africa." (This plaque is brass, an alloy of copper and zinc.) From these mediums, artists fashioned ritual objects for the court, including wall plaques, staffs, bells, and pendants, in honor of the Oba and his realm.
[Benin City] is divided into many magnificent palaces, . . . from top to bottom covered with cast copper, on which are engraved the pictures of their war exploits and battles.
-17th-century Dutch visitor describing Benin City
