Plaque (1500s–1600s): Art, History and Details

Plaque (1500s–1600s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

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 their dimensions and imagery.

Object facts

• Title: Plaque
• Date: 1500s–1600s
• Culture: Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igun Eronmwon (royal brasscasters) guild
• Type: Sculpture
• Technique: Copper alloy
• Dimensions: Overall: 49.4 x 30.6 cm (19 7/16 x 12 1/16 in.)
• Collection: African Art
• Department: African Art
• Accession number: 1953.425

A detail from the museum

The bent sides of this plaque once helped attach it to wooden beams in a palace.

Collection credit

John L. Severance Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Brooklyn Museum. Masterpieces of African Art. Exhibition Dates: October 21, 1954-January 2, 1955. [Brooklyn]: Brooklyn Museum, 1954.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.