Following the British occupation of Benin City (Edo) in 1897 objects made of brass, ivory and wood were looted by British forces from the royal palace, its storerooms and compounds. Some of these objects were sold or exchanged on the coast. However, many were brought to the UK where they were sold through private auction, donated to museums, or retained by soldiers of the expedition. The British Museum successfully petitioned the government to secure some of the relief plaques and over 300 were sent to the UK by the Consul-General [Sir] Ralph Moor and placed at the Foreign Office. During the summer of 1897 the Crown Agents for the Colonies, on behalf of the Foreign Office, agreed a temporary loan of 304 plaques to the British Museum. In September these were placed on public display in the Assyrian basement where they attracted considerable public attention. The Museum initially received 203 of these plaques as a gift from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In the summer of 1898 a further eleven plaques were sent to the British Museum from the Foreign Office and three of these were selected by the Museum and were subsequently presented as a gift. Of the remaining plaques the Foreign Office retained eight and the rest were offered for sale to major museums, collectors and private dealers in Europe and the UK. Today over nine hundred plaques are known to exist in museums and private collections around the world. See Collection File: Af1898,0115.1-203 (previously Eth.Doc.185).
Relief plaque, lost-wax cast in brass. Wide plaque, rectangular in form with side flanges. Background surface decorated with river leaf patterns and stippling. Two crocodile heads at top and two crocodile heads at bottom, flanking Oba. Two nail holes at top, one hole at bottom. Depicts standing Oba, facing front, flanked by two standing enobore, also facing front, supporting his arms. Oba wears cylindrical beaded crown with oro protrusion, deep beaded collar, crossed beaded bands on chest, armlets and beaded anklets, and patterned skirt with series of pendant masks depicting crocodile heads suspended from belt. Supporters similarly dressed: tiered hairstyle with oro protrusion, beaded necklaces, armlets and wrap-around skirts tied over left hip.
The relief brass plaques that used to decorate the Oba's (king's) palace are among the most well-known of all the royal arts of Benin. Although frequently described as 'Benin Bronzes' most plaques are made of leaded brass in various compositions. It is widely accepted that they date to the 16th-17th centuries. In the years prior to the British Expedition royal influence in Benin was increasingly under threat from rival powers, both internal and external, with a focus on economic power and control of the important trading monopolies. However, the court and palace remained the political and spiritual centre of the Benin Kingdom. Earlier accounts written by Europeans visiting the city describe its size and scale. The palace complex was set up around atrium courtyards; some had galleries with wooden pillars supporting the roof. Brass plaques, probably made in matching pairs, were fixed to these pillars. The Benin brass plaques represent a distinct and unique corpus of work, unparalleled elsewhere on the continent. They are cast using the cire perdue (lost wax) technique and show significant variation in the depth of the relief. Some of the plaques portray historical events or commemorate successful wars, while others are a vivid depiction of Benin court life and ritual. Several groups of plaques show clear stylistic similarities. William B. Fagg suggested that these plaques represent the work of master brass casters. Fagg, William, 1973, 'Nigerian Images', London: Lund Humphries Gunsch, Kathryn, 2018, 'Benin plaques: a 16th century imperial monument', London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group ~Part of Processional Pillar Set 6. Row 2C. Oba with enobore supporting his arms (Gunsch, 2018). ~Direct pair with Berlin Ethnologisches Museum plaque III C 8205. ~Read & Dalton 1899: Chief with two attendants, his arms supported as in Af1898,0115.34. He wears bands of beadwork over his naked breast, to which are attached sleeves of beadwork. He also wears the broad collar and anklets, and a cap like that in the last figure, but with a central spike. On his skirt, which is ornamented with crocodiles' heads in relief, are punched easily recognizable heads of Europeans with beards. The attendants wear waist cloths with extended ends, broad beadwork collars, narrow anklets and pointed head-dresses, with frontal bands of beadwork. The breasts of all three persons are marked by the usual cicatrices. On the background are two pairs of crocodiles' heads in relief.