USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: [edo-nationality] Figures In Benin Art Works Communicate History

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From: Osagie Igbinosun <nosagima@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 3:21 PM
Subject: [edo-nationality] Figures In Benin Art Works Communicate History
To: edo-nation@yahoogroups.com, edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com

 

Figures In Benin Art Works Communicate History By EKAIWE IGINUA OSEMWEKHA 03/22/2012 THERE is a general consensus in Benin folklore that Oba Esigie who was crowned in the early sixteenth century commissioned the earliest of the palace rectangular bronze relic while some of these sculptures celebrate memorable events of Esigie's reign, the great majority depict warriors, priests, courtiers, officials, and other specialist as they appeared during pageantry associated with the Oba's court. This relics were specifically brought to the fore in a description of ancient Benin that was edited in 1668 by Olfort Dapper. Albeit Dapper had not visited the empire or Africa as a continent, he gathered information from visitors who had seen the ancient city in the early seventeenth century. He wrote that the palace complex was as large as the Dutch city of Harlem, containing many stately residences and audience hall.   These buildings included beautiful and large square galleries about as large as the bourse of Amsterdam, but some larger than others, all resting on wooden pillars covered from top to bottom with cast copper, whereon the picture of their war deeds and battle are engraved and are maintained very clean (Dapper 1668). If these copper-Alloyed relief were kept bright through constant polishing the effect of their massed display must be impressive. Ancestral altars in Benin provide in Gaartz's terms model of and for (Gaartz 1973: 33-34) the life well lived in this regards, they point to one of the major ways that art functions to create identity that is through the embedding of the memory of the deceased in a collection of objects on a shrine.   These objects operate to complete and finalise a life story. In so doing, they not only furnish a cohesion bid but also provide for menence. This is especially important in the case of royal altars. A king place in history is crucial to the sense of identity and continuity of the Edo as a nation. The objects which embody his achievements, therefore have to be capable of enduring overtime. Indeed, the special mystical power of brass and ivory in the Benin view as precisely that to preserve and protect by resisting the vagaries of time.   These materials effectively link the past with the present, formed into powerful image of accomplishment in brass and ivory. It firmly establishes the deceased monarch as one who has through his own achievement shaped events and thus shaped time itself. In retrospect, it was not fashionable to exhibit Benin art works in most public places due to ignorance. The ignorant had considered it fetish, not by the white men who introduce various religion practices to us but by ourselves because some of us had been brainwashed   Ironically, it is these same Whiteman who exhibited this artifacts in their home base museums which became foreign exchange earners and tourist destinations. When the Benin man became aware of thousands of priceless artifacts that dotted the so called civilized museums across the globe, we now realise that this was armed robbery by the British who invaded Benin empire in 1897. During the illegal invasion of the most powerful empire in West Africa sub region, it created an awareness that our lost treasures were now the centre of attraction in the works of art. Perhaps, Queen Idia popularity as a symbol for Festac 77 that was celebrated in this country became an eye opener for the need of the Benin people to fight for reparation. Apart from some of these artifacts shrouded in mysteries and were forced to be sent to their original abode, thousands of them are still cherished in museum across the globe. How do we guarantee their perpetual safety, this time not from the hands of the old raiders of the discovered treasures but from the new raiders of the lost treasures. In the early civilization, the Portuguese Afro Plaque production made enormous contribution to the curiosity cabinets in Europe. These artifacts were sold all over the world and called Persian art, e.g., the famous Egyptian Ram head made its first outing in Benin exhibition, was showcased in Lagos and was quite reminiscence of the Egyptian Ram Head. Also in the sixteenth century, Portuguese Afro artists stayed and worked in ancient Benin taking advantage of marketing Benin Art works abroad. Ahawiangiwa, a Portuguese artist was delighted by the Portuguese monarch to Benin during the reign of Oba Esigie to consolidate the effort of Benin in the production of Bronze casting.   The resultant consequences of this Portuguese influence was a proliferation of Benin art works. Today these art works are considered as part of Benin art Works in  diaspora which had been erroneously attributed to other European technology. Presumably, Ahamagiwa was considered to have designed the crucifix which was brought to Oba Esigie as a souvenir from the Portuguese monarch about 1540 A.D. The Portuguese were the most outstanding sailors that first visited Africa and far away as East Timor. According to the United Nation's report, Portuguese navigators came to East Timor in about 1514. During this period vast sandwood forest covered nearly 80% of the land with a lot of timbers and art works made from blackwood.   This enticed the Portuguese traders to establish trading sea port. Catholic Missionaries like those that came to Benin in 15th century, quickly catch in to evangelize and won converts from the Catholic Mission.   The Portuguese quickly went ahead to colonise the island of East Timor before other countries like Britain and France who were contemporary in the search for greener pasture took advantage of this tiny but wealthy country.   Although, the country is about 14,000 square kilometres, it is blessed with crude oil reserve and its wild life is similar to that of Asian or Australia. Some of the fines art works of East Timor can also be seen in some part of Europe – courtesy of the Portuguese colonial masters. O. Igbinosun

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