Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igun Eronmwon (royal brasscasters) guild / 1500s–1600s
Plaque
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Plaque as sculpture (Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igun Eronmwon (royal brasscasters) guild · 1500s–1600s).
The bent sides of this plaque once helped attach it to wooden beams in a palace.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as Copper alloy.
The museum's collection notes: Craftsmen modeled brass plaques like this in wax before casting them with hot metal. Molds pushed out figures’ general shapes, then details—such as this warrior’s staff and court sword ( ẹbẹn )—were added by hand. Reflecting Benin’s global connections, the incised flowers may have Islamic or European origins. Called ebe-amẹn (river leaves) they are identified with Olókun, god of the waters. The interlaced side motifs may connect several early plaques also linked by topic and style. The palace plaques were in storage before the 1897 Siege of Benin. Recently, an art historian virtually reconstructed their former display in the palace based on t
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The Cleveland Museum of ArtPlaqueOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.