Esigie

Mudfish can survive in water and on land. They swim in water and they use their fins to 'walk ' on land. The mudfish was used as a symbol for the Oba because the Oba could also survive in two places. People believed that the Oba belonged to the world of humans (represented by land) but also to the world of the gods (represented by water). The leopard was seen as the king of the animals, just like the Oba was the king of his people. The Obas of Benin kept pet leopards as a symbol of their power. Once a year, the Oba 's leopards were led through the streets in chains. This was a sign that the Oba was even more powerful than the king of beasts! The people of Benin tell a story about Oba Esigie and a fish eagle. As the Oba prepared for battle, the eagle screeched a warning that he would lose. Oba Esigie ignored the warning and won his battle, proving that Obas can overcome bad fortune! The people of Benin saw the python as the king of all the snakes, just like the Oba was the king of all the tribes. They believed that pythons were sent by the god Olokun to…

a diameter of 10.5 cm. On the amulet, there is a representation for Oba “King” with mudfish for feet. The symbolic significance of the mudfish to the Edo people was that it showed how they could live in the sea and on land. The Oba also has his hands high up to the sky that links him to the god Olokun who is the mother of the sea. This amulet was used during the bead festival “Ugie Ivie” which was started by the Oba Esigie. This bead festival has to represent the struggle he went through with…

Let take a closer look at the spiritual life of African with the art of ritual masks. Africa is the country of masks and wooden statues. Men were the ones who used masks during ritual dances. The masks’ images were sublime. The majority of African masks were highly stylized - completely change the shape of face and body. The images were simplified; the sizes of the balance were changed. This unique feature was completely unfamiliar with the art of the Renaissance which held a high respect to…

Queen Idia was a prominent figure in the Edo State of Nigeria who played an important role in Oba Esigie’s rise to power. Esigie had brass sculptures of her head made in order to recognize her military influence and achievements, and placed these heads in her alter after her death. In 1897, during the period in which Africa was under colonial rule by the British, British men “ransacked the Benin Empire” and forcefully took the heads away to display them as a representation of their imperial…

They portray Idia, the first Queen Mother of Benin City and the mother of Oba Esigie, the first Christian kind of Benin. The masks show a striking amount of motifs that associate to the Portuguese, who first arrived in Benin in the 1490s. In Benin ivories, the Portuguese are generally portrayed with long flowing hair and mustaches, and thin, deeply set oval eyes. Looking at the crown of the Queen Mother Pendant Mask, there are 14 tiny figures adorning the edge. These tiny figures are alternating…