₦airaland Forum

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"Image is everything. Not an Edo proverb, but it might have been. These two 16th century heads from Philadelphia's Penn Museum are high-ranking war victims, either rulers or generals. Made from a copper alloy, they were permanent representations of specific victories. The conquerors appeared in only a handful of contemporary plaques actually engaged in war. Instead, they usually showed themselves in full ceremonial dress at a war festival, not engaged in sweaty combat, but splendid as victors.

Like disdainful conquistadors, they were secure in their position--so much so that they could afford to honor the defeated with precious metal and depictions of coral necklaces. Generals were stars when at home in Benin City, surrounded by cheering crowds and their entourages, encouraged by musicians and acclaim. The stress of the battlefield behind them, bloody memories were converted into beauty."

http://iyare-penn..com/2008/12/intrepid-fighters.html

[img]http://www.zeller.de/img/benin-krieger-neben-loewe-f5.jpg[/img]

http://www.zeller.de/de/katalog/auktion-89-junijuli-06/auktionsartikel/benin-krieger-neben-loewe/

[img]http://www.zeller.de/img/benin-reliefplatte-54.jpg[/img]

http://www.zeller.de/de/katalog/auktion-89-junijuli-06/auktionsartikel/benin-reliefplatte-1/

[img]http://www.zeller.de/img/paar-benin-reiter-85.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.zeller.de/img/paar-benin-reiter-f3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.zeller.de/img/paar-benin-reiter-df.jpg[/img]


http://www.zeller.de/de/katalog/auktion-89-junijuli-06/auktionsartikel/paar-benin-reiter/

[img]http://www.zeller.de/img/benin-krieger-zu-pferd-41.jpg[/img]

http://www.zeller.de/de/katalog/auktion-102-sep-09/auktionsartikel/benin-krieger-zu-pferd/

https://images2.image-data.com/images/67/thumbs/55409/55409665.jpg

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM00-1674.jpg?size=l[/img]

An arm ornament in the form of a leopard, part of a ceremonial outfit of the Oba of Benin. Regarded as the most powerful of animals, the leopard was a frequently used symbol of the Oba's authority. Country of Origin: Nigeria. Culture: Edo. Place of Origin: Benin City. Material Size: Ivory and copper studs. Credit Line: Werner Forman Archive / British Museum, London. Location: 08.

https://images2.image-data.com/images/67/thumbs/55402/55402491.jpg

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-0441.jpg?size=l[/img]

Hip mask worn by Benin chiefs. The ram was an important sacrificial animal, while mudfish were a common symbol in Benin art. Country of Origin: Nigeria. Culture: Benin. Date/Period: 17th century. Material Size: Brass. Credit Line: Werner Forman Archive / Courtesy Entwistle Gallery, London . Location: 08.

[img]http://www.uncg.edu/eng/pound/benin.gif[/img]

https://img855.imageshack.us/img855/7669/benin.gif

[img]http://img.fotodom.ru/QM01-5972.jpg?size=l[/img]

"A Benin ivory box showing two Portuguese soldiers fighting beside a slaughtered dragon, the latter probably copied from a European print. Country of Origin: Nigeria. Culture: Edo. Date/Period: 16th - 17th C. Place of Origin: Benin. Material Size: Ivory. Credit Line: Werner Forman Archive / University Museum, Philadelphia. Location: 08. "




[I should point out that the animal claimed to be a "dragon" in the art above, is actually a pangolin, not a dragon, and was not copied from anything. See the book Benin Kings and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria edited by Barbara Plankensteiner, which has the same image and an explanation.]

.

[img]http://4.bp..com/_ytgJBaeUgnk/SKQe0B4NYXI/AAAAAAAAABg/TmjF2SGp32k/s1600/IMG_4515.JPG[/img]

"Look at these little Portuguese faces. The photo is larger than they are, yet the artist carefully included their straight beards, curving round the chin. The odd angle of their heads? They're quarreling with one another, and unseemly behavior (so natural for foreigners!) called for undignified poses. (If it weren't a detail, you'd see the gin bottle that started the quarrel).

But the Portuguese didn't drink or trade gin--genever--in its typical square-bottomed bottles. The Dutch brought gin to Benin in the 17th century, the English continued its trade from the 1700s on--but in their day (the late 15th and 16th centuries), the Portuguese sent brandy. The 19th century Edo artist who carved this probably saw European traders brawling over hot drink--but they wouldn't have looked like these little men.

No, the royal guild artists stopped really looking at foreigners in the 16th century. The long hair, dress, and hats of the Portuguese--and their protruding noses--stayed in the artists' consciousness long after the Iberians had been replaced by other European travelers. No other visitors matched their impact, and no individuals befriended the king, the way a few Portuguese had grown close to Oba Esigie. As their images decorated the palace and various court goods, artists continued to look at them and create, caught by their alien character and clothing."

http://iyare-penn..com/2008/08/aliens.html

[img]http://4.bp..com/_ytgJBaeUgnk/SK6hyaxuXNI/AAAAAAAAACQ/Zm-O9dMLp4w/s1600/osazee.jpg[/img]

"Osazee's standing on a decorative inset showing the crossed eben and ada ceremonial swords, a motif restricted to the Oba and his chiefs. Wealthy householders often floor parts of their compound yards, either with concrete or an amalgamated material. I've never seen one of these insets being made, and I'm still curious about them--a metal strip separates the colors. I've never viewed anything like them outside Nigeria--perhaps the costs here are too high? Or perhaps I just don't get out often enough! Owners choose the motifs; in Benin, traditional gongs and other emblematic symbols also show up."


[img]http://4.bp..com/_ytgJBaeUgnk/SK6rkjS9H2I/AAAAAAAAACg/wSVKPUdvmbQ/s1600/floor%2Bcowries%2Bbenin%2Bmuseum.jpg[/img]

"Even though this flooring has a practical purpose, particularly in the rainy season when mud can be a problem, the decorative aspect recalls older forms of floor ornamentation. Cowrie shells used to be placed into floors in patterns. Since cowries were an old currency, they attested to the owner's wealth--so extreme that he could afford to seem casual about it. and have his visitors step on money.
I've never seen cleaner compounds anywhere. The whole of a household, inside and out, is swept every morning. When younger, Osaze would be out with a hose, a broom, and Vim or Omo, scrubbing the light-colored designs of Benin's red mud or dust."


http://iyare-penn..com/2008/08/osazees-standing-on-decorative-inset.html

[img]http://1.bp..com/_ytgJBaeUgnk/SSBYNuX8HlI/AAAAAAAAAD8/L9uNqOUS6Zw/s1600/Igbinedion%2Bat%2Bhome%2Bthrones%2B1994.jpg[/img]


'Glamour in Benin

To be a public figure in Benin requires expenditure. One’s palace face must consist of calculated generosity, showiness, and taste. New and gorgeous fashions, objects and accessories, entertainment on a grand scale, a family whose appearance excites comment—all are costly. Lavish spending creates admiration, but it also excites jealousy and strains the purse. The traditional story below speaks to the one-upmanship that occurs on a (non-mythical) level regularly.

Osanobua and His Son Olokun

Olokun, the deity of wealth and the sea, boasted that he was greater than his father, the High God Osanobua. Olokun was the owner of coral beads, bedecked in all manner of ornaments. His palace itself was made of money. Osanobua, in contrast, was modest in appearance.

One day Olokun decided to challenge his father to a contest. Whose attire was more splendid? The nobles of the spirit world assembled to watch.

Olokun emerged into the crowd, beautifully attired, to the gasps of onlookers. A messenger from his father awaited. Concerned with other matters, Osanobua had sent the chameleon as a stand-in. The chameleon stepped forward, and, using his natural abilities, mirrored Olokun’s dress. Frowning, Olokun retired to change.

He reemerged, more splendid than before. The chameleon matched him. Olokun pulled one item after another from his wardrobe, only to see his father’s representative equal his efforts. Exhausted, he surrendered. Osanobua himself then appeared and pointed out, “If you are so grand, and I own YOU, who is the most splendid?” '

http://iyare-penn..com/2008/11/glamour-in-benin.html

[img]http://4.bp..com/_ytgJBaeUgnk/SRt0P1-zWcI/AAAAAAAAADU/hsvmY-4YHdo/s1600/back%2Bof%2Bpangolin%2Bdress%2Bwith%2Bscorpion%2Band%2Bada%2Beben%2Bornaments%2B1994.jpg[/img]


"Anyone looking at our exhibition's title might wonder what the tension it refers to is all about. Tension--past and present--can develop because of personal and economic stresses, and it produces dramas. I remember being told in Benin: "It's your enemies who make you, not your friends." The gist is that your skills are not developed through interacting with companions, but by being tested and honing your reactions to your adversaries.

“Ama Yogbe, Aimiu, Ulọmwan”

“Beware of the Public Place; If You are Not Competent, Your Enemy Will Put You to Shame”—Ẹdo Proverb

The palace is a site of splendid display, where courtiers vie to outdo each other and compete for public recognition. Being at court can be extremely fulfilling, but it is rarely relaxing. Image cultivation is both time-consuming and stressful.

Courtiers seek power and reputation, and then have to maintain them. As a man rises, others are ready to tear him down and take his place. Benin’s history is replete with tales of stratagems, plots, and downfalls worthy of any empire worldwide. Social ascents and downfalls play out visibly. Gossip, rivalry, and the pursuit of glamour are key elements in contemporary dramas, but they were also drove the tensions of the past. Ceremonies and performances at the palace and in villages often reenact such stories: jealous wives lying to their husband about a co-wife (the Ovia masquerade), the monarch's key warrior who then became irritated that his efforts were not more appreciated (the Agboghidi epic), the generosity of the monarch whose gifts of beads resulted in a scornful "Beads are common in the palace," with a fierce punishment resulting (15th century Oba Olua and his son Iginua).

Human impulses and strivings may find new outlets today, but gossip, striving for public acclaim, and enmity are worldwide and perennial. In the palace arena, they have a more avid and attentive audience than they might within an office building or in a school, but the motivations are familiar."

http://iyare-penn..com/2008/11/tensions.html

[img]http://2.bp..com/_6kU1xwGO2IU/SZLVkQhkmmI/AAAAAAAAAAM/p-_6nlg6pNM/s1600/croc.jpg[/img]

http://artfricana-archive..com/2009/02/iyare-philadelphias-benin-exhibition.html

[img]http://1.bp..com/_ytgJBaeUgnk/SSK_IFu8OFI/AAAAAAAAAEc/VGSNlzYn8zc/s1600/DSC_1206.jpg[/img]

http://iyare-penn..com/2008/11/does-anything-excite-boys-imagination.html

Image of a spear from that same book (Antique works of art from Benin), and its caption:

https://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9530/capturefigures215and216.jpg

"Figs. 215 and 216. Iron spear, length 4 feet 11 inches, the head having an ogee
section, similar to those used at the present time on the Gaboon and
elsewhere in West Africa. Below the spear-head the shaft is ornamented
with bronze figures of leopards in two places and two degenerate elephants'
heads and eyes, the proboscis terminating in a human hand holding a leaf,
as so frequently shown elsewhere. The butt end is cased and bound with
brass. The shaft is of iron, with a brass baud on the upper parts"

A video showing a ceremonial sword in a museum:

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzeiTta2DjU[/flash]

Here are other images of weapons and their captions from that same book:


https://img23.imageshack.us/img23/6844/capturefigure107fromthe.jpg

"Fig. 107. Iron leaf-shaped sword, length 19^ inches, with alternating ornamentation
on the opposite sides of the blade, similar to that prevailing in the Gabon
and other parts of Africa. The handle is very small, and is bound with
strips of iron."


https://img716.imageshack.us/img716/1415/capturefigures212and218.jpg

"Figs. 212 and 213. Iron wedge-shaped sword, single-edged, enlarging to a broad
end. Ivory handle ; the grip carved in pointed leaves and studded with
lead ; pommel in form of a leopard's head ; the eyes inlaid with lead ;
a band carved as two scaly snakes at bottom. The scabbard worked in
green plush and red cloth, with human figures and tortoises alternating.
This is probably the kind of work represented in metal on some of the
dresses on the plaques. The sword belts terminate in tassels of worsted or
some other limp material."


Here's a color image of that sword when sheathed:

https://img713.imageshack.us/img713/4920/viewerbeninsword.png

Yeah, I'm not sure when that bridge mentioned by Bacon would have been built, I only mentioned it, because the entire book is basically against Benin in almost every aspect, but he went out of his way to commend the ruined bridge, instead of condemning it, which made me wonder what the quality and appearance of the bridge might have been like when it was functional.



Here's an image of a short sword:

https://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5302/7a50eb35b335f5d7288acbb.jpg

"Details

One of just two examples known to us.  The other, matching in detail is in the collection of the Museum of Mankind, the ethnographic branch of the British Museum, London."

It's not that well forged, apparently, but they're selling it for $3,200 just because it's from Benin. 

http://www.monstermarketplace.com/antique-arms-and-armor/c-2

We may never see a full suit of armor akin to that in the very first picture I posted in my post above, but you would think some people could at least return some of the weapons instead of selling them to private collectors.




Here are images of 3 short swords (the strangely shaped sword in the middle was described as "soft" and was also made out of copper, not iron, so it was possibly for some kind of ceremony) that were captured in 1897:

https://img195.imageshack.us/img195/5673/capturefigures376to381f.jpg

Here are the captions for the swords in Pitt Rivers' book Antique works of art from Benin:


"Figs. 376 and 377. -Modern Benin sword ; the blade is iron and decorated with
incised birds and a nondescript animal. There are seven brass rivets
hammered into the blade. The handle is covered with leather. Length
of blade, 17¾ inches.

Figs. 378 and 379. Is a copper weapon which has had a wooden shaft. This weapon
is of too soft a metal to be of much use.

Figs. 330 and 381. An iron weapon of an old make. The blade is decorated with
an incised figure of a snake. Length of blade, 21 1/8  inches."

I usually avoid religious discussions like the plague, but let me point out here that Christianity and Islam are just modifications of Judaism. So really, there was only one group (Jews) that "had the good news" and spread it to the pagans, if you accept or believe in one of the Abrahamic religions. I don't think the Jews oppressed, killed, and looted us.


As for why some of the native religions are not looked upon favorably in many parts of Nigeria, I think it has something to do with this.

I think native religions are looked down on in most of the world except for parts of Asia (India, Japan, etc.). The Arabs, Europeans, South Americans, etc. don't seem to practice their native religions much either.