The Benin Bronzes Essay -- Benin Brass Plaques

This essay deals with the nature of a cross cultural encounter between the Benin people and Portuguese traders in the 15th and 16th centuries, which resulted in the depiction of Portuguese figures in Benin side plaques. It leave propose that this contact between people with different cultures was on the basis of mutual regard (Woods, K. 2008, p. 16), and although the Portuguese had qualms about idolatry in Benin it will argue that assumptions by europiumans up to the 20th vitamin C of the primitive nature of tribal African societies was inaccurate with regard to the Benin people, who had a society based on the succession of the King or Oba, a Royal Family and Nobility. The essay will finally suggest that Benins increase in wealth hobby the arrival of the Portuguese led to a resurgence in dye sculptures and the introduction of a new form, the rectilinear plaque.The plaque under consideration, is of a forward facing man, with an aquiline nose, thin lips, neatly trimmed beard, a rticle of clothing a sun hat with flaps and looking intently at the viewer. He is dressed in a typical 16th century Portuguese style, wearing a decorated tunic with padded shoulders and ridiculous breeches with short boots. He has a business like manner, carrying in his right hand a brass manilla, the main item of replace with Benin, and a walking cane in the other. It is significant that he is non armed, clearly indicating he is safe in foreign surroundings. The background is pleasingly stylised with clusters of petals set against a stippled ground imbuing a unspoilt feeling.It seems probable that Fernao Gomes, a Portuguese merchant adventurer discovered the kingdom of Benin in 1474 (Wood, K. 2008, p. 8), desire trading opportunities and looking for gold. The... ...best case for the retention of the British Benin sculptures is to accord them the uncomparable status they deserve as exceptional artworks and exhibit them appropriately in a prestigious national art gallery, for everyone to appreciate fully.Works CitedFlinders, P. and Holman, K. and others, (2012) AA100 Tutorial gathering Book 3, Weeks, 1 and 2 Benin , online at http//learn.open.ac.uk/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=900850, accessed between 4 and 17 February, 2015.Loftus, D. and Wood, P. (2008), The Art of Benin Changing Relations Between Europe and Africa II in Brown, R. D. (ed.) Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book 3), Milton Keynes, The throw University, pp. 43-87.The Art of Benin, (2009), AA100 DVD ROM, Milton Keynes, The Open University.The Open University, (2008), AA100 Illustration Book (Plates for Books 3 and 4), Milton Keynes, The Open University.