Ein Kopf aus Bronze. - Kopf - Benin - Nigeria






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Ein Bronzen Kopf aus Nigeria in der Benin-Tradition, Herkunft: Königreich Benin, mit Eisen-Einlagen in Stirn und Augen, Gewicht 2 kg, Höhe 21 cm, Zustand fair und authentisch.
Vom Verkäufer bereitgestellte Beschreibung
A Benin Trophy or Commemorative Head, Nigeria
Nigeria, Kingdom of Benin, Edo
Bronze / copper alloy, iron inlays
A substantial cast metal head from the artistic tradition of the historic Kingdom of Benin, distinguished by its broad facial structure, stepped coiffure and, above all, by the conspicuous use of iron inlays in the forehead and eyes. Heads of this general type have been interpreted in different ways in the literature, ranging from trophy representations of powerful defeated opponents to commemorative images of high-ranking members of the Benin court and even of an Oba.
The face is broad and rounded, with full cheeks, a long straight nose and a relatively small, carefully modelled mouth. The large almond-shaped eyes are enclosed by sharply defined raised contours. The pupils are accentuated by dark iron inserts, producing a particularly intense frontal gaze. The deliberate combination of copper alloy and iron is an important technical and visual feature of the sculpture.
Even more remarkable are the iron elements set into the forehead. Two elongated vertical strips occupy the central axis above the bridge of the nose, while shorter pointed or oval elements are arranged symmetrically above the eyebrows. The contrasting dark oxidation of the iron makes these details stand out clearly against the warmer surface of the copper alloy. Such iron insertions are known in Benin metalwork and could be used to emphasize the eyes and facial markings.
The coiffure forms a close-fitting cap composed of numerous narrow, parallel ridges arranged in successive sections or steps. This distinctive stepped hairstyle has played an important role in scholarly attempts to interpret this particular category of Benin heads. It has sometimes been described as a hairstyle foreign to the Edo, the people of the Kingdom of Benin, and consequently used as evidence that such heads represented outsiders or defeated enemies.
Paula Girshick Ben-Amos discussed the possibility that certain early Benin heads of this type should be understood as trophy heads rather than conventional royal ancestral heads. According to traditions associated with this interpretation, an especially powerful or rebellious defeated ruler could be decapitated, and the severed head presented to the royal brass-casting guild in Benin City so that a permanent metal representation could be made. The resulting sculpture would therefore commemorate royal victory and the defeat of a significant political adversary.
This interpretation, however, is not without difficulties. Figures wearing closely comparable stepped coiffures occur repeatedly on the celebrated Benin palace plaques. There they appear in a variety of roles, including chiefs, warriors, pages and attendants associated with the Oba. In several instances their coral-bead ornaments identify them as persons of considerable rank within the courtly environment. The recurrence of the hairstyle among such figures therefore makes it difficult to regard the coiffure alone as conclusive evidence of foreign origin or enemy status.
This has led to an alternative interpretation: rather than representing a defeated foreign adversary, a head of this type may depict a high-ranking individual belonging to the royal palace establishment. Frank Willett went further in discussing related material, considering the possibility that a head of this general category could represent a commemorative image of a king of Benin. The precise identification of the type consequently remains an important and unresolved question in the interpretation of Benin art.
The sculpture is particularly interesting because these competing interpretations fundamentally alter its possible meaning. Under the trophy-head interpretation, the unusual coiffure and facial treatment would distinguish a defeated outsider whose image was preserved as evidence of royal power. Under the alternative interpretation, the same features belong to the visual vocabulary of status within Benin itself and could identify an important court personality or royal figure. The present object should therefore be described with both possibilities in mind rather than assigned unequivocally to either category.
The coiffure itself is executed with considerable precision. Parallel ridges cover the crown in clearly separated registers, while the hairline forms a strong geometric boundary around the forehead and temples. The ears are rendered in low relief. At the base, the short neck expands slightly and is covered with a dense pattern of fine horizontal and vertical lines, creating the appearance of a structured collar or neck ornament.
The surface displays a complex brown, reddish-brown, dark grey and greenish patina with localized oxidation, deposits and areas of abrasion. The iron inlays have developed a distinctly darker and more corroded surface than the surrounding copper alloy, further emphasizing their original visual function. The precise date, original placement and historical identity represented by the present head cannot be established from photographs alone.
Literature:
Paula Girshick Ben-Amos, The Art of Benin, British Museum Press, London, 1995.
Ekpo Eyo and Frank Willett, Kunstschätze aus Alt-Nigeria, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz, 1983.
Felix von Luschan, Die Altertümer von Benin, 3 vols., Vereinigung Wissenschaftlicher Verleger Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin and Leipzig, 1919.
William B. Fagg, Nigerian Images, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Lagos, 1963.
Barbara Plankensteiner (ed.), Benin: Kings and Rituals. Court Arts from Nigeria, Museum für Völkerkunde, Vienna, 2007.
Some of the information and photos are generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history documents. All information and photos are protected by copyright.
Inv. No. MAZ29042
Legal Framework
Under the 1970 UNESCO Convention in combination with the Kulturgutschutz Gesetz (KGSG) any claim for the restitution of cultural property becomes time-barred three years after the competent authorities of the State of origin obtain knowledge of the object’s location and the identity of its possessor.
All bronzes and terracotta items offered have been publicly exhibited in Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery since 2001. Organisations such as DIGITAL BENIN and academic institutions such as the Technical University of Berlin, which have been intensively involved in restitution-reseaches (translocation-project) over the past seven years, are aware of our work, have inspected large parts of our collection and have visited us in our dependance in Lomé, Togo, among other places, to learn about the international Art trade on site. Furthermore, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Abuja, Nigeria, has been informed about our collection. In no case in the past have there been restitution claims against private institutions such as the Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery
Our Gallery addresses these structural challenges through a policy of maximum transparency and documentation. Should any questions or uncertainties arise, we invite you to contact us. Each matter will be reviewed diligently using all available resources.
Der Verkäufer stellt sich vor
A Benin Trophy or Commemorative Head, Nigeria
Nigeria, Kingdom of Benin, Edo
Bronze / copper alloy, iron inlays
A substantial cast metal head from the artistic tradition of the historic Kingdom of Benin, distinguished by its broad facial structure, stepped coiffure and, above all, by the conspicuous use of iron inlays in the forehead and eyes. Heads of this general type have been interpreted in different ways in the literature, ranging from trophy representations of powerful defeated opponents to commemorative images of high-ranking members of the Benin court and even of an Oba.
The face is broad and rounded, with full cheeks, a long straight nose and a relatively small, carefully modelled mouth. The large almond-shaped eyes are enclosed by sharply defined raised contours. The pupils are accentuated by dark iron inserts, producing a particularly intense frontal gaze. The deliberate combination of copper alloy and iron is an important technical and visual feature of the sculpture.
Even more remarkable are the iron elements set into the forehead. Two elongated vertical strips occupy the central axis above the bridge of the nose, while shorter pointed or oval elements are arranged symmetrically above the eyebrows. The contrasting dark oxidation of the iron makes these details stand out clearly against the warmer surface of the copper alloy. Such iron insertions are known in Benin metalwork and could be used to emphasize the eyes and facial markings.
The coiffure forms a close-fitting cap composed of numerous narrow, parallel ridges arranged in successive sections or steps. This distinctive stepped hairstyle has played an important role in scholarly attempts to interpret this particular category of Benin heads. It has sometimes been described as a hairstyle foreign to the Edo, the people of the Kingdom of Benin, and consequently used as evidence that such heads represented outsiders or defeated enemies.
Paula Girshick Ben-Amos discussed the possibility that certain early Benin heads of this type should be understood as trophy heads rather than conventional royal ancestral heads. According to traditions associated with this interpretation, an especially powerful or rebellious defeated ruler could be decapitated, and the severed head presented to the royal brass-casting guild in Benin City so that a permanent metal representation could be made. The resulting sculpture would therefore commemorate royal victory and the defeat of a significant political adversary.
This interpretation, however, is not without difficulties. Figures wearing closely comparable stepped coiffures occur repeatedly on the celebrated Benin palace plaques. There they appear in a variety of roles, including chiefs, warriors, pages and attendants associated with the Oba. In several instances their coral-bead ornaments identify them as persons of considerable rank within the courtly environment. The recurrence of the hairstyle among such figures therefore makes it difficult to regard the coiffure alone as conclusive evidence of foreign origin or enemy status.
This has led to an alternative interpretation: rather than representing a defeated foreign adversary, a head of this type may depict a high-ranking individual belonging to the royal palace establishment. Frank Willett went further in discussing related material, considering the possibility that a head of this general category could represent a commemorative image of a king of Benin. The precise identification of the type consequently remains an important and unresolved question in the interpretation of Benin art.
The sculpture is particularly interesting because these competing interpretations fundamentally alter its possible meaning. Under the trophy-head interpretation, the unusual coiffure and facial treatment would distinguish a defeated outsider whose image was preserved as evidence of royal power. Under the alternative interpretation, the same features belong to the visual vocabulary of status within Benin itself and could identify an important court personality or royal figure. The present object should therefore be described with both possibilities in mind rather than assigned unequivocally to either category.
The coiffure itself is executed with considerable precision. Parallel ridges cover the crown in clearly separated registers, while the hairline forms a strong geometric boundary around the forehead and temples. The ears are rendered in low relief. At the base, the short neck expands slightly and is covered with a dense pattern of fine horizontal and vertical lines, creating the appearance of a structured collar or neck ornament.
The surface displays a complex brown, reddish-brown, dark grey and greenish patina with localized oxidation, deposits and areas of abrasion. The iron inlays have developed a distinctly darker and more corroded surface than the surrounding copper alloy, further emphasizing their original visual function. The precise date, original placement and historical identity represented by the present head cannot be established from photographs alone.
Literature:
Paula Girshick Ben-Amos, The Art of Benin, British Museum Press, London, 1995.
Ekpo Eyo and Frank Willett, Kunstschätze aus Alt-Nigeria, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz, 1983.
Felix von Luschan, Die Altertümer von Benin, 3 vols., Vereinigung Wissenschaftlicher Verleger Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin and Leipzig, 1919.
William B. Fagg, Nigerian Images, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Lagos, 1963.
Barbara Plankensteiner (ed.), Benin: Kings and Rituals. Court Arts from Nigeria, Museum für Völkerkunde, Vienna, 2007.
Some of the information and photos are generated by artificial intelligence and is based on published sources from the fields of ethnography, archaeology, and art history documents. All information and photos are protected by copyright.
Inv. No. MAZ29042
Legal Framework
Under the 1970 UNESCO Convention in combination with the Kulturgutschutz Gesetz (KGSG) any claim for the restitution of cultural property becomes time-barred three years after the competent authorities of the State of origin obtain knowledge of the object’s location and the identity of its possessor.
All bronzes and terracotta items offered have been publicly exhibited in Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery since 2001. Organisations such as DIGITAL BENIN and academic institutions such as the Technical University of Berlin, which have been intensively involved in restitution-reseaches (translocation-project) over the past seven years, are aware of our work, have inspected large parts of our collection and have visited us in our dependance in Lomé, Togo, among other places, to learn about the international Art trade on site. Furthermore, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Abuja, Nigeria, has been informed about our collection. In no case in the past have there been restitution claims against private institutions such as the Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery
Our Gallery addresses these structural challenges through a policy of maximum transparency and documentation. Should any questions or uncertainties arise, we invite you to contact us. Each matter will be reviewed diligently using all available resources.
Der Verkäufer stellt sich vor
Details
Rechtliche Informationen des Verkäufers
- Unternehmen:
- Jaenicke Njoya GmbH
- Repräsentant:
- Wolfgang Jaenicke
- Adresse:
- Jaenicke Njoya GmbH
Klausenerplatz 7
14059 Berlin
GERMANY - Telefonnummer:
- +493033951033
- Email:
- w.jaenicke@jaenicke-njoya.com
- USt-IdNr.:
- DE241193499
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