A fragmented relief plaque, in lost wax technique, with a floral background carved inwards after the plaque is made, four nail holes ar the four corners of teh plaque, the main figure is in the middle sitting on a donkey, his attire suggest he is an important figure, two smaller figures accompagny him and hid his hands forward, two bigger figures are fanning him with large leafes, all figures have weapons on tem, on the top there are small floating male figuresm and a little one hidden on the bottom right; signs of damage and oxidation.

Following the British occupation of Benin City (Edo) in 1897 objects made of brass, ivory and wood were looted by British forces from the royal palace, its storerooms and compounds. Some of these objects were sold or exchanged on the coast. However, many were brought to the UK where they were sold through private auction, donated to museums, or retained by soldiers of the expedition. The British Museum successfully petitioned the government to secure some of the relief plaques and over 300 were sent to the UK by the Consul-General [Sir] Ralph Moor and placed at the Foreign Office. During the summer of 1897 the Crown Agents for the Colonies, on behalf of the Foreign Office, agreed a temporary loan of 304 plaques to the British Museum. In September these were placed on public display in the Assyrian basement where they attracted considerable public attention. The Museum initially received 203 of these plaques as a gift from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In the summer of 1898 a further eleven plaques were sent to the British Museum from the Foreign Office and three of these were selected by the Museum and were subsequently presented as a gift. Of the remaining plaques the Foreign Office retained eight and the rest were offered for sale to major museums, collectors and private dealers in Europe and the UK. Today over nine hundred plaques are known to exist in museums and private collections around the world. See Collection File: Af1898,0115.1-203 (previously Eth.Doc.185).

More information can be found on digital benin: https://digitalbenin.org/catalogue.

sold

Height: 48 cm
Width: 39 cm
Weight: 10 kg