Bronze mask, Benin

The bronze helmet mask combines zoomorphic and anthropomorphic motifs in an elaborate vertical composition. The lower part consists of a stylized face mask with almond-shaped cut-out eye holes, a wide nose and exposed teeth. The rim of the face and the lower edge are fitted with functional cast rings for hanging textile or plant elements of the costume. The upper vault of the helmet is richly decorated with relief geometric circular motifs. The top of the mask is dominated by a fully three-dimensional sculpture of a horse, on which three stylized riders with characteristic tribal attributes and weapons sit.

Metal casting in the Kingdom of Benin (the area of ​​present-day Nigeria) was one of the pinnacles of court art in West Africa. Bronze masks and sculptures served exclusively to celebrate the monarch (both) and the royal court. The motif of a horseman is a traditional symbol of high status, military power, prestige and wealth in Beninese art, as horses were a rare imported commodity from the northern Saharan regions. The mask was used in palace ceremonies, the worship of royal ancestors and rituals intended to demonstrate the spiritual and temporal sovereignty of the ruler over the entire empire.

Nigeria, 19th century, bronze, 55 x 25 x 35 cm