PASTEXPERIENCE HISTORY

Honnō-ji. Edo. Pompeii. Where will you go?

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From the sixteenth century to the conquest of 1897

The Benin court and its casters

Royal memory, skilled casting and the looting of 1897.

Benin City
Explore how it works

Metal takes the space left by wax

Can the same direct-casting mould be reused after removing the object?

A wax model is enclosed in clay; a cutaway distinguishes wax and clay layers.
01Model in wax
Wax modelClay mould

The wax shape is enclosed by clay.

The design starts in wax

Details are modelled in wax and enclosed in clay. Fine inner layers capture detail; outer layers strengthen the mould. The cutaway shows how clay encloses the wax model.

Sources and scope

These illustrations explain processes and institutions rather than reconstructing actual people, buildings or layouts. Cutaways and insets show hidden structures or separate locations.

African lost-wax casting ↗

Model in wax

100%

Scroll the enlarged image to inspect details.

A wax model is enclosed in clay; a cutaway distinguishes wax and clay layers.

A wax model is enclosed in clay; a cutaway distinguishes wax and clay layers.

Court specialists and royal power

A new oba commissioned works remembering his predecessor. Heads and plaques served succession and ritual as well as visual display. Differences of scale could express rank within the court.

[1] British Museum[4] The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Casting royal memory in metal

Lost-wax casting replaces a wax model inside a mold with molten metal. Breaking the cooled mold and trimming and polishing finish the work; wax model and mold are lost. Many so-called bronzes use brass, an alloy of copper and zinc. Ivory requires different processes.

[1] British Museum[2] British Museum[4] The Metropolitan Museum of Art[5] The Metropolitan Museum of Art

From kingdom to museum

British looting in 1897 displaced works from the court. A later museum donation does not establish peaceful earlier acquisition. Craftsmanship and the circumstances of displacement both belong to an object’s history.

[1] British Museum[3] British Museum

Before and after

  1. From the sixteenth century

    Court works were produced.

  2. 1897

    British conquest and looting.

  3. 1914

    A new Oba was installed.

Key terms

Oba
The ruler’s title in Benin.
Lost-wax casting
Casting with a wax model and a mold receiving metal.
Provenance
A work’s history of creation, ownership and movement.

What supports the account?

The present Republic of Benin and historical kingdom are distinct. Accurate location prevents misidentifying the society that produced the works.

Court guilds, materials, ritual, the 1897 conquest and looting. Lost-wax casting, date range and the 1897 acquisition and looting history.

Limits of the evidence

A current country name alone does not identify the kingdom.

[1] British Museum[2] British Museum

Lost-wax casting separates shaping and casting stages. Technique brings specialist artisans behind royal commissions into view.

Court guilds, materials, ritual, the 1897 conquest and looting. Lost-wax casting, date range and the 1897 acquisition and looting history.

Limits of the evidence

Museum records also reflect the collecting institution’s standpoint.

[1] British Museum[2] British Museum

Check your understanding

Choose an answer to reveal the explanation. Return to the article and sources when you are unsure.

1. A museum register says donation. What remains unresolved?
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Sources

  1. Benin BronzesBritish Museum

    Court guilds, materials, ritual, the 1897 conquest and looting.

  2. Benin brass braceletBritish Museum

    Lost-wax casting, date range and the 1897 acquisition and looting history.

  3. Collecting historiesBritish Museum

    Objects displaced by military action and provenance investigation.

  4. Commemorative head of an obaThe Metropolitan Museum of Art

    Royal succession, court guild, head forms and production period.

  5. The lost-wax casting processThe Metropolitan Museum of Art

    General process of wax models, molds and molten metal; not a production record for a specific Benin work.

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