Fine, Benin Bronze Palace Plaque. Rare and old example. 55cm high. Nigeria

  
A beautiful solid Bronze Palace plaque from the ancient Benin Kingdom. This plaque is part of what is today described as the Benin Bronzes. The Benin Bronzes are a group of more than a thousand metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin in what is now the Midwest area of Nigeria.

Collectively, the Benin bronze objects form the best-known examples of Benin art and were created from the thirteenth century onwards by artists of the Edo people of Nigeria. A visually stunning, rare and finely-crafted example with great attention to detailing and good form and balance. This is an authentic Benin Bronze item obtained personally in Edo State, Nigeria. This, in my opinion, is one of the biggest and finest authentic Benin bronze plaque example available anywhere today.

Please not that this plaque is genuinely old and has been professionally buffed to remove some surface oxidation. Picture 3 is the plaque before buffing. Other pictures represent the current look of the plaque. The plaque features a musician, a Palace attendant and a nursing mother figure as part of a thematic story this particular plaque reveals. This Plaques is cast with a single and thick sheet of Bronze. It is therefore considerably heavy at around 20kg. Would look superb on a specialist metal stand. Some degradation and thinning of the bronze, with age and wear, throughout the plaques and especially to the base. A beautiful, considerable and significant collector item. These Benin Palace bronze plaques, in large numbers, adorned the palace of the Oba (King) of the old Benin Empire warrior, around the 16th to 17th. They were believed to to have autonomous and distinct meaning specifically telling complex narratives in relationship to one another. Benin bronze obtainable today, if genuinely the work of a Benin/Edo artisan, will have the obvious hallmarks showing they are original creations using the renowned traditional method that has endured over time. Stylistic nuances will also indicate they are the work of accomplished Benin/Edo artisans. All my Bronze are authentic Benin tribal work I have taken time to locate in Edo State, Nigeria. Edo State is the modern home of the Benin Empire during the time all these plaques and other Benin bronzes were first created. Meaning the examples I offer will grow in value as genuine and old Benin bronze become more rare. 55cm high x 40cm wide x 15cm deep. Please note item is bronze and therefore very heavy. Item is big and very heavy at 20kg. Likely to be 25kg after specialist packaging. This item is in the category "Antiques\Ethnographic Antiques\African". The seller is "yemisi-gallery" and is located in this country: GB. This item can be shipped to all countries in Europe, United States.

• Primary Material: Bronze
• Antique: Yes
• Original/ Repro: Original
• Region of Origin: African