Benin bronze plaques

Timeline

1. c. 1400–1500Royal palace, Benin City · Benin CityIn the 15th century the Kingdom of Benin, under the Oba, incorporated lost-wax bronze casting into the court workshop system; plaques, heads, and vessels were used together to decorate the palace, with themes centered on royal authority and religious ritual, the metal largely imported via trans-Saharan trade routes.
2. c. 1500–1580Benin City · Benin CityUnder Obas such as Esigie, Benin plaque output and craftsmanship reached a peak; relief layers and figure compositions grew more complex, recording contact with the Portuguese and inland campaigns, while palace colonnades were extensively inlaid with bronze plaques to display royal power.
3. 1591Royal palace, Benin City · Benin CityIn the 1590s under Oba Ehenbuda, the court still cast bronze plaques to order to decorate newly built or renovated palace spaces, with themes continuing warfare, pilgrimages, and sacrifice, keeping alive a visual political tradition running alongside coastal trade and the inland tribute system.
4. 1601–1897Benin City · Benin CityAfter the 17th century Benin bronze plaque output gradually declined; the tradition continued through political changes in the kingdom but on a smaller scale than in the 16th century. In 1897 a British expedition burned the palace and carried off many plaques, which were dispersed into European and American museums and became core material for the study of West African art history.