The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), has unveiled a new gallery dedicated to the Robert Owen Lehman Collection of bronzes and ivories created in the ancient Kingdom of Benin, located in present-day Nigeria. The single greatest private holding of objects from Benin (not to be confused with the West African Republic of Bénin, the former Dahomey) the Lehman Collection was a gift to the Museum in 2012.
The Benin Kingdom Gallery tells the story behind these magnificent works—sculptures, relief plaques, ritual objects and regalia—along with the complex history and traditions of the Edo peoples that inhabit the kingdom. Owned by kings (called Oba), the exquisitely crafted objects were kept in the royal palace in Benin City, the capital of the kingdom, some playing roles in rituals and annual ceremonies that continue to this day. On display for the first time in Boston, the 36 objects (two Lehman Collection loans are included) comprising 30 bronzes and six ivories, all date from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The gallery, which was completely renovated, also includes two early ivories from Sierra Leone and Guinea, crafted by African artists for the European market. The dynamic installation sets the works into their artistic and historical contexts, highlighting a period when Benin traded spices, textiles and slaves for Portuguese muskets, cannons and brass bracelets—which would later be melted down and cast into the magnificent bronzes on display. An interactive touch screen allows visitors to explore the complex iconography of the works, uncovering the meanings of their designs and motifs. To further appreciate Benin’s heritage, the MFA will host a special Celebration of Benin Kingdom Arts and Culture on Wednesday, September 25 from 6–9:45 pm. The free event is a partnership between the MFA and the Coalition of Committed Benin Community Organizations (representing the current Oba of Benin, along with a number of Boston-area Edo groups) and will feature dance performances, music, art and gallery activities. The renovation of the Benin Kingdom Gallery was made possible with support from the Robert Lehman Foundation and the Vance Wall Foundation.
According to oral tradition, the history of the Benin Kingdom began in the late 12th century with the Ogiso dynasty, and continued through the second dynasty founded by Prince Oranmiyan, whose kings consolidated the state between the 13th and 15th centuries. In the last years of the reign of Oba Ewuare the Great (about 1440-73), the Portuguese arrived and trade and commerce flourished. An age of great prosperity then followed during the 16th century, with the kingdom thriving and expanding. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Benin remained an important trading partner for European countries, among them Holland, Britain and France. Toward the end of 19th century the kingdom came under British influence and, in 1892, entered into a treaty placing it under British jurisdiction. Five years later, after Benin forces killed most members of a British delegation en route to Benin City, the British launched the so-called Punitive Expedition of 1897, sending military forces to the capital and defeating its ruler, Oba Ovonramwen. It is estimated that the British removed more than 4,000 works of art from the Benin palace during this military action. Throughout Benin’s complex history, there have been 38 kings in the present dynasty, including the current ruler Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Erediauwa, C.F.R., Oba of Benin, who ascended to the throne in 1979. Through the many highs and lows endured by the kingdom and its people, one of the constants has been the production of art that ranks with the greatest achievements of mankind.
Among the most famous works from the kingdom are its bronzes, which are actually made of brass (mostly an alloy of copper and zinc). When Portuguese traders arrived in the late 15th century they traded brass in the form of bracelets (called manillas), muskets and cannons for spices, textiles and slaves. Benin artists melted down and recast the manillas, leading to flourishing production by Benin artists in this medium. The highly regarded bronze casters worked exclusively for the Oba, and employed the lost-wax method of casting to create the objects. Superior examples include two royal commemorative heads from the 16th century. The head is a common motif in the Benin sculptural repertoire because it leads a person through life, and a “good head” assures well-being and prosperity. After the passing of an Oba, his successor conducted elaborate funerary ceremonies and commissioned many works to honor his predecessor. Commemorative head of an Oba (late 16th century) is a rendering of an unidentified monarch with a high collar strung from precious coral beads, and a cap-like crown decorated with clusters of beads and braided strings hanging from the sides. Placed on an ancestral altar in the palace, it would have been used by the living monarch to communicate with royal ancestors and assure the wellbeing of the community. Three commemorative heads of defeated neighboring leaders (late 15th–early 16th century), also referred to as a “trophy heads,” are said to have been displayed on altars devoted to the kings’ military might and prowess.
For more information, visit mfa.org or call 617.267.9300. The MFA is located on the Avenue of the Arts at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.