A good copy of the wellnown female Benin statuary 17/18 century, Plankensteiner ed., Benin Könige und Rituale, Höfische Kunst aus Nigeria, 212.This large sculpture is interesting also for its patina, Compared to the famous Benin figure, which was seen at many exhibitions (I last saw it last year at the Bode Museum, Berlin), this figure, which apparently dates from the 20th century, has a beautiful authentic patina, arisen probably in two to five decades. The old 200 to 300 years old figure looks "as new". If you exclude the assumption that it was exchanged for a replica at some point, which I personally do not believe, then the history of this figure, which is hardly noticed by art historians, may be of interest. This figure certainly did not look like when it was collected. It has been "restored" in a way that left nothing of its original patina. As this figure came to the Berlin Museum of Ethnology immediately after its discovery through Felix von Luschan, the "restoration" was most likely at this scientific institution. Nothing is left of the original condition. This is not just a matter of aesthetics, since patina, in conjunction with other analysis methods, can provide important information about age and finding relationships. If one asks about the history - called provenance -of a cultural object, it has often been museums that have suppressed or extinguished important historical informations. An exhibition as important as the one quoted above, should have written about these facts. But the fact is that current Benin and Ife research and science are unable to reflect on their own history. Let alone seriously deal with what is currently - in whatever way - comes to light. 

1.000 - 1.200,- Euro

sold

Height: 78 cm
Weight: 12 kg