Relief plaques (ama) from the Kingdom of Benin formed the visual program of the royal palace and celebrated the divine power of the monarch (oba). The presence of the leopard in the relief has a deep symbolic meaning - the leopard was considered the "king of the bush" in the Edo culture and was a direct ritual alter ego and symbol of the monarch himself who ruled the human world. The depicted courtiers demonstrate the strict hierarchy of palace life, where proximity to the monarch and his animal symbols of power determined social status and spiritual authority within the empire.

Nigeria, turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, bronze, mounted on a wooden board, board 75 x 50 cm, relief 61 x 40 cm

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The bronze plaques originally adorned the wooden pillars of the vast royal palace in Benin City. They served as a visual chronicle of the kingdom, recording historical battles, court ceremonies and the hierarchical structure of Edo society. The palace itself was seen as the center of the universe and the ritual center of the empire. This relief demonstrates the absolute secular and spiritual power of the Oba, his wealth and the importance of palace rituals that ensured the stability and prosperity of the entire Benin state.

Nigeria, late 18th and early 19th century, bronze, mounted on a wooden board, board 76 x 49 cm, relief 57 x 40 cm

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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

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This specific type of sculpture served young women and girls as a protective amulet and ritual aid to ensure fertility, healthy motherhood and easy childbirth. Women carried the statuettes with them, cared for them as if they were real children and believed that through them they communicated with the spiritual forces responsible for the continuity of the family.

Congo, Africa, early 20th century, wood, h. 38 cm

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Gelede masks are used during the ritual ceremonies of the same name, which celebrate and appease the spiritual power of women, especially elderly mothers. These women are perceived as bearers of mysterious creative and destructive power. The mask's construction tells a story or carries a proverb - the presence of a bird and a chameleon symbolizes transformation, magical power, communication with the night world and the ability of mothers to influence the fate of the community. The dance in these masks aims to ensure the fertility of the land, social peace, fertility and prosperity of the entire community.

Nigeria, 1st half of the 20th century, wood, polychrome, 50 x 30 x 22 cm

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Mboko vessels were among the most important objects of power and oracles in the Luba kingdom. The kneeling female figure represents a spiritual intermediary, as women were perceived in Luba culture as the only beings capable of preserving the spirits of their ancestors and divine power in their bodies. The mboko bowl served as a place for oracles to store sacred white clay (kaolin). It was applied to the face of a soothsayer or ruler during rituals, enabling communication with the spirit world, purification, divination of the future, and legitimization of royal authority.

Congo, Africa, 1st half of the 20th century, h. 34 cm

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In traditional Angolan art, female figures have a fundamental ritual significance. They represent revered ancestors, founders of lineages, or protective deities of fertility and motherhood. The position of the hands resting on the stomach symbolizes the continuity of life, pregnancy, and ancestral protection. These statues were kept in ancestral sanctuaries, where they served as a medium for communication with the spiritual world, to ensure the prosperity of the community, and safe childbirth.

Angola, Africa, early 20th century, wood, h. 75 cm

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Kenya, Africa, 1st half of the 20th century, rosewood, h. 40 cm

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This type of composite mask from Nigeria represents a complex embodiment of ancestral spirits or powerful protective deities. The sewn shells are a traditional symbol of wealth, high social status and ritual purity. The curved horns refer to the power of wild animals and male energy. The mask was used during important social events.

Nigeria, turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, wood, textile, 46 x 40 x 50 cm

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