A bronze pendant/plaque in the style of Benin, Nigeria, of a horserider. Signs of Oxidation; certificate of origin and provenance.

Reference: Digital Benin Archives

"Pendant plaques, like pendant masks, can be cast in brass or carved in ivory, and were worn as part of ceremonial regalia by members of the royal palace societies. Pendant plaques are typically U-shaped, with a suspension loop or loops at the top. Crotal bells would have been attached to the small round eyelets that decorate the bottom half. Many different motifs are shown; some common ones include images of horses and riders and Portuguese men, or just their heads, hinting at the close ties between Benin Kingdom and Portugal during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries."

Source: Powell-Cotton, P. H. G. (1932). 329. Benin Brass Castings and Handicrafts in the Cameroons. Man, 32, 284–284

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 auctions, 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)."

Source: Digital Benin.

sold

Height: 43 cm
Weight: 2,8 kg