PhysicsMHD:

A drawing of the art on a Benin memorial ivory tusk.

kinda reminds me of the Aztecs

Is Ile Ife, Benin City etc. tought in history lessons at school in Nigeria? Because an user here in Nairaland were shocked seeing Igbo Ukwu arts

I can't find pics of real Benin shields or armors, it seems all lost. But this is impossible, where are all the craftsmen able to create such objects? Where are all the armors carried from father to son? I can't believe it.

Nyumba: I can't find pics of real Benin shields or armors, it seems all lost. But this is impossible, where are all the craftsmen able to create such objects? Where are all the armors carried from father to son? I can't believe it.

the armor would have been animal hide (Crocodile,Elephant,Ect) so it would have decomposed and the shields were likely wood so the same can be said of them plus when the gun became a primary weapon i dont think all the armor and shields would be necessary in battle any longer.

PAPA AFRICA: the armor would have been animal hide (Crocodile,Elephant,Ect) so it would have decomposed and the shields were likely wood so the same can be said of them plus when the gun became a primary weapon i dont think all the armor and shields would be necessary in battle any longer.

mmm, ok. But I think something is still there, it just needs to be digged up

Nyumba:

mmm, ok. But I think something is still there, it just needs to be digged up

you may be right.

Some more info in the probability of writing existing in Edo/Benin.

user Ighayere on Historum:
These are some symbols that were written in chalk by a Benin priest in front of a grove around 1906 (a few years after the conquest of Benin) and recorded in the book At the Back of the Black Man's Mind by R.E. Dennett:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/mind/img/21-001.jpg

There are also some other references to Benin making use of symbols in the past. In the article 'Ludewig Ferdinand Römer's "Nachrichten von der Küste Guinea" (Mid-18th Century) as a Source on the Benin Kingdom History and Culture' (2001), the authors note that Ludwig Romer was told in the 18th century that the people of Benin were

". . .somehow learned. Their learning is derived from many hieroglyphic figures and stone portraits and with their help [assistance] they are able to tell [relate] their own history, as well as the history of their whole country."

Though the authors disagree with the idea that the Benin/Edo people had real literacy. In the same article they note that another researcher in recent (20th century) times had obtained information about how some records were kept in the past:

"P.A. Igbafe provides information, on how the Ughoron preserved historical events as follows: “By using clay model figures of the various Ogisos and marking on them symbols of the activities of their reigns, a fairly comprehensive record was kept.”

Ughoron were hereditary court chroniclers and the Ogisos were the first dynasty of Benin kings.

This article is available online:

Ludewig Ferdinand Römer's "Nachrichten von der Küste Guinea" (Mid-18th Century) as a Source on the Benin Kingdom History and Culture | Dmitri Bondarenko - Academia.edu

http://historum.com/middle-eastern-african-history/90116-blacks-had-no-history-before-slavery-16.html (page 16)

Hi everybody.
I am new in this forum and I have to say that I saw wonderfull objets here and discover a terrible history. Since few years I am the owner of this wonderful bronze. I don’t know in which year it had been made, but I think that it is pretty rare. I looked at thousands of photos and did not find anything that represent an Oba with his young attendant, plus another Oba with two attendants holding his arms, plus 5 other figures, each one different. Does somebody could tell me if he has or had seen something like this among all the bronzes that had been made in Benin. Thank you very much.

I am sorry I did a mistake in the order of the photos, these are the ones I wanted to show.

Obviously, very recently. The attendants of ancient times used to be go about bare . The one depicted here is wearing European style underwear that was introduced by Oba Akenzua in 1933.

Thank you for your answer. I agree, in fact I was thinking that it could be Oba Akenzua, and on the bottom the Oba Oweka II. But I think that it could be an other sculpture like this one somewhere, each one being unique of course, but something that could be with many differents figures on it. I didn't see any.

.: