SCULPTURES, two pieces, bronze, Benin, Africa, probably 19th century. Two bronze castings, depicting armed riders with spears, shields and leaves, each decorated with different patterns and mounted on rectangular pedestals, h.70cm, w.18cm, d.36cm. (2).

These bronze sculptures were created by an unknown Nigerian artist. They depict two warriors of the Benin region. Bronzes such as these  were done by the Edo people of the Benin Kingdom. The materials used to make these sculptures-namely bronze- were thought to be endowed with sacred power, and the fact that the kingdom had the resources and technology to mold these materials into their desired shape showed the power of the king over the Earth. Although Benin Bronzes did not come to the attention of the West until a 19th Century Expedition by the British, the Benin Kingdom has been making Bronzes since as early as the 13th Century. The origin of casting in Benin is still highly debated, with some experts saying the technique was learned from the Ife Kingdom in the Northwest, while others saying it developed in Benin independent of outside influence.