A fine Eastern Pende Panya-Gombe African mask. Coll.: David Norden |
Edo Benin peoples
A Bariba, Benin terracota pot 40cmAccording to tradition, the Kingdom of Benin was founded from Ife, whence, in the late 14th century, knowledge of Brass casting may have been introduced into Benin City for the manufacture of commemorative heads for royal altars.
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Outside Benin City, the Edo peoples live in villages that have many localized cults of nearby topographical features and founder heroes. The Ekpo masquerade, occurring to the south and east of Benin, is performed by the warrior age group in ceremonies to purify the village ritually and to maintain health. At Ughoton, to the southwest of Benin, a different type of mask is used, in the cult of the water spirit Igbile. Both the cult and the sculptural style seem to have derived from the Ijo. A number of bronze castings found in Benin have been classified tentatively as the Lower Niger bronze industries. They include pieces from Tada and Jebba in the region now inhabited by the Nupe people, who regard them as relics associated with their own mythical ancestor, and other pieces from various parts of the delta of the Niger River.
related Bronzes from Ife and Benin Exhibition from February 3 to April 14, 2007
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