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 This strong sculptural representation of a ram belongs to the tradition of metal casting practiced in the region of Owo, an important cultural center situated between the spheres of influence of the Kingdom of Benin and the Yoruba peoples. Owo developed a distinctive artistic tradition that combines formal elements associated with Benin court art and local stylistic features. The ram is rendered in a compact and stylized manner, with a rounded body, short legs, and a slightly elongated head. Particular emphasis is placed on the curved horns, which coil backward in a rhythmic spiral and visually frame the animal’s head. The modeling is simplified yet expressive, focusing on essential anatomical features rather than naturalistic detail. Such stylization is characteristic of metal sculptures produced in southern Nigeria between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. The object was cast using the lost-wax casting technique, also known as the cire perdue process. In this method, the artist first models the form in beeswax, covering it with layers of clay to create a mold. When heated, the wax melts and drains away, leaving a cavity into which molten metal—usually brass or bronze—is poured. Once the metal cools and the clay mold is broken, the resulting sculpture emerges as a unique cast, since the mold cannot be reused. This technique was widely practiced in the Benin and Owo regions and enabled the production of finely detailed ritual and courtly objects. Animal figures such as rams were not merely decorative but carried symbolic significance. In many West African traditions the ram is associated with strength, vitality, and sacrificial power, qualities that connect the animal with ritual offerings and royal authority. Within the artistic context of Owo and Benin, animal sculptures could appear on altars, serve as ceremonial objects, or function as symbolic representations within ritual assemblages. The bronze ram therefore illustrates both the technical mastery of regional metal casters and the complex network of artistic exchange linking Owo to the wider cultural sphere of the Benin court. Through its form and method of production, the sculpture reflects the prestige of bronze casting as a medium closely associated with political power, ritual practice, and sacred authority in the historical societies of southern Philip Dark, die Kunst von Benin, Prag 1960, S. 58/ 59, 87;
CAB06926 Height: 54 cm |
 photo: wolfgang-jaenicke.com, for more information, please write us an e-mail with the identification number of the photo identification no. CAB06926.jpg |
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