Benin Leopard Bronze Nigeria African Art SALE WAS $450.00

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Benin Leopard Bronze Nigeria African Art SALE WAS $450.00:
$224.99

TitleBenin Leopard Bronze Nigeria African ArtType of ObjectBronze /Brass casting LeopardCountry of OriginNigeriaPeopleEdoMaterialsBronze or brassApproximate AgeUnknownOther DimensionsHeight: 19.5 Inches
Width: 5 Inches
Depth: 25 Inches
Overall ConditionGood. Most ofÂ our pieces have spent decades on at least two continents, and have been treasured by several owners. Â Small splits, scrapes and cracks are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.Â We examine each piece carefully when we receive it and report any damage we find in our listings.Â Please look carefully at the pictures which may also reveal condition and damage.Damage/RepairSome oxidation, dents and wear; see pictures for details.

Additional Information: A superb bronze / brass casting of a leopard without parallels in the art of Benin in Nigeria. The famous royal center of Benin, the center of the Edo people\'s power and the place of residence for the Oba, the ruler, had produced a number of remarkable objects the best known being the portrait heads cast in bronze and a number of leopard castings such as this.Benin examples of leopards are known as being ritually used as aquamanile to pour water during ceremonies. The age of this figure is difficult to determine however what is important to note is that the skill of the Nigerian bronze (brass) casters of today who cast this leopard continues a tradition nearly 500 years old at Benin and have not lost their skill in producing wonderful works of art.

The Benin Kingdom was founded by the son of an Ife king around 1300, but it was not until the 15th/16thC that the kingdom reached its zenith. Sometime in the 15thC, members of the kingdom made contact with Portuguese traders living along the coast, and it is likely that some of the skills found in their metalworks were learned from these interactions. The originals of these castings date to the 12th to 15th centuries and are worth millions of dollars. The present day inhabitants, Edo and Yoruba who live in Benin, continue to produce art today inspired by these famous early masterpieces.

Additional Reading:

Augustus Pitt-Rivers, Antique Works of Art From Benin, 1900

Hagen, Dr. K., Altertumer von Benin, Jahrbuch der Hamburgischesen Wissenschaftlichen Anstalten, V. XVII, 1900.

H. Ling Roth, Great Benin, Its Customs, Art and Horrors, 1903 (1968).

Dark, P. J. C., W. & B. Foreman, Benin Art,1960.

Dark, P. J.C., An Introduction to Benin Art and Technology, 1973.

Ben-Amos, P. The Art of Benin, 1980.

Freyer, B., Royal Benin Art, 1987.

Ezra, K., Royal Art of Benin, The Perls Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.

Duchateau, A., Benin, Royal Art of Africa from the Museum fur Volkerkunde, Vienna, 1994

**105882**

All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006

Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers!
Please visit our About Us page.

Africa Direct, Inc. has been selling on since 1997 and has received more than 51,000 positive responses. It is owned by Eliza and Sara, who began the company after spending a year wandering southern Africa in a camper van with their multi-racial family. They have been honored with \'s Hall of Fame award, and by Giving Works, through which they have raised more than $125,000 in charity sales.

Customer Service: We treasure our many long term customers, and will try to make you one of them! If you have problems, please tell us... we care!

Handling Time: We ship daily except Sundays and holidays. Most orders go out the same day, and all go out within 48 hours.

Returns: We want you to be happy with your purchase. You\'re welcome to return an item within 30 days in the same condition you received it--just let us know you\'re returning it. You may have either a credit or a refund for your purchase price, not including shipping both ways. If your original payment was made through PayPal, we\'ll refund you through PayPal; if you paid us directly with your credit card, we\'ll refund the credit card.

Combining Shipping: You are welcome to wait to pay, and to combine multiple items for shipping. We ask that you keep each order to 10 days or 10 items, whichever comes first--then start another order.

When you\'re ready, just send us a list of item numbers or an invoice request and we\'ll send you an invoice. You can pay by Paypal or credit card.

U.S. Shipping: We use a professional shipper who has worked with us for ten years. He and his staff take great care in packing our artwork, much of which is antique, irregularly-shaped, and fragile. The cost of his labor and the special packing materials he uses is reflected in our handling price. Our U.S. shipping charges also include insurance; we self-insure on smaller orders. For these reasons, our shipping and handling charges may be more than the price of postage.

International Shipping: We ship dozens of international orders each week, to customers on every continent except Antarctica! The shipping charges included in our listings are for U.S. orders. Contact us for shipping charges to your country. We offer uninsured USPS First Class airmail, insured Priority airmail, and insured Express airmail to most parts of the world, depending on the weight, volume, and value of an item. We also ship via FedEx or DHL on request.

Import duties, taxes, and charges are NOT INCLUDED in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer\'s responsibility. Please check with your country\'s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to offerding / buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up -- do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. And please do not ask us to mark merchandise values below the actual value or mark items as \"gifts\"--U.S. and International government regulations prohibit such behavior.

Newsletter, previews and special offers: Sign up for our newsletter

Go to Africa Direct Store