Edo — Benin Kingdom, Nigeria
17th–18th century
Bronze or brass
Length: 9½ in (24.1 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, London
This cast crocodile-form component is modeled with a long snout, raised eyes, and a patterned body, and was most likely produced as an element of a royal throne or palace furnishing. In Benin court art, the crocodile carried associations with water, danger, and the commanding force of the oba, making it among the more charged animal images within the kingdom's royal visual language. Objects of this kind contributed to the ceremonial display of royal authority during palace life and formal occasions.
The casting quality and early dating place the piece within the period of Benin's most accomplished bronze production, when the royal workshops produced objects that articulated the spiritual and political power of the kingdom through material and form.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Edo — Benin Kingdom, Nigeria
17th–18th century
Bronze or brass
Length: 9½ in (24.1 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, London
This cast crocodile-form component is modeled with a long snout, raised eyes, and a patterned body, and was most likely produced as an element of a royal throne or palace furnishing. In Benin court art, the crocodile carried associations with water, danger, and the commanding force of the oba, making it among the more charged animal images within the kingdom's royal visual language. Objects of this kind contributed to the ceremonial display of royal authority during palace life and formal occasions.
The casting quality and early dating place the piece within the period of Benin's most accomplished bronze production, when the royal workshops produced objects that articulated the spiritual and political power of the kingdom through material and form.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
