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Source Description
Craftsmen modeled brass plaques like this in wax before casting them with hot metal. Molds pushed out figures’ general shapes, then details—such as this warrior’s staff and court sword (<em>ẹbẹn</em>)—were added by hand. Reflecting Benin’s global connections, the incised flowers may have Islamic or European origins. Called <em>ebe-amẹn</em> (river leaves) they are identified with Olókun, god of the waters. The interlaced side motifs may connect several early plaques also linked by topic and style. The palace plaques were in storage before the 1897 Siege of Benin. Recently, an art historian virtually reconstructed their former display in the palace based on their dimensions and imagery.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
130708
label
Plaque
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
130708
contentType
sculpture
title
Plaque
description
Craftsmen modeled brass plaques like this in wax before casting them with hot metal. Molds pushed out figures’ general shapes, then details—such as this warrior’s staff and court sword (<em>ẹbẹn</em>)—were added by hand. Reflecting Benin’s global connections, the incised flowers may have Islamic or European origins. Called <em>ebe-amẹn</em> (river leaves) they are identified with Olókun, god of the waters. The interlaced side motifs may connect several early plaques also linked by topic and style. The palace plaques were in storage before the 1897 Siege of Benin. Recently, an art historian virtually reconstructed their former display in the palace based on their dimensions and imagery.
date
1500s–1600s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60757724
genreSpecific
Sculpture
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 49.4 x 30.6 cm (19 7/16 x 12 1/16 in.)
cul
Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igun Eronmwon (royal brasscasters) guild
accession
1953.425
Source extras
tec
Copper alloy
tombstone
Plaque, 1500s–1600s. Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igun Eronmwon (royal brasscasters) guild. Copper alloy; overall: 49.4 x 30.6 cm (19 7/16 x 12 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund, 1953.425
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
The bent sides of this plaque once helped attach it to wooden beams in a palace.
citations
citation
Brooklyn Museum. <em>Masterpieces of African Art. Exhibition Dates: October 21, 1954-January 2, 1955.</em> [Brooklyn]: Brooklyn Museum, 1954.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 41; Reproduced: no. 58
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook.</em> Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 384
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 302
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 302
citation
Wixom, WIlliam D. "African Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art." <em>African Arts</em>. 10, no. 3. (April 1977) 16-25.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 19; Reproduced: p. 25, fig 13.
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 411
citation
Gunsch, Kathryn Wysocki. <em>The Benin Plaques: A 16th Century Imperial Monument.</em> London : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 99; Reproduced: p. 100, fig. 5.37
citation
Windmuller-Luna, Kristen. “Art from the Benin Kingdom.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine </em>61, no. 1 (Winter 2021): 34-35.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: P. 34.
citation
<em>Digital Benin, </em>Markk Museum Am Rothenbaum Kulturen und Kunste der Welt<em>, (</em>Last Updated: 2021-02-13)
page_number
ID 130708
creditline
John L. Severance Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:45:46.308000
sourceId
130708
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
Copper alloy
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
b6c653e5cc3410d6