Benin Kingdom, Nigeria
Mid 19th Century
Size 6 3/4”
Provenance: Michael Graham Stewart, London
A lack of written records from many lost African kingdoms sometimes prohibits pinpointing the exact meaning of a work; the true identity of this bronze horse and rider with a heavy Portuguese influence, may have been associated with the oba or other elite. The figure, which may represent a defeated king or warrior from another culture, could have celebrated a great victory in battle. Or it could depict the Benin oba himself, since horses were a rare luxury reserved for royalty. Other scholars believe the rider commemorates Oranmiyan, a prince from a neighboring kingdom who founded the royal lineage and introduced horses to the new kingdom.
Benin Kingdom, Nigeria
Mid 19th Century
Size 6 3/4”
Provenance: Michael Graham Stewart, London
A lack of written records from many lost African kingdoms sometimes prohibits pinpointing the exact meaning of a work; the true identity of this bronze horse and rider with a heavy Portuguese influence, may have been associated with the oba or other elite. The figure, which may represent a defeated king or warrior from another culture, could have celebrated a great victory in battle. Or it could depict the Benin oba himself, since horses were a rare luxury reserved for royalty. Other scholars believe the rider commemorates Oranmiyan, a prince from a neighboring kingdom who founded the royal lineage and introduced horses to the new kingdom.
