Minneapolis Institute of Art

Warrior Chief

Benin artist

Date

c. 1800

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Benin

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This bronze figure represents a warrior chief, and would have been placed on a shrine to honor an Oba, or king, accompanied by a memorial head and tusk, bells, and other ceremonial items. The figure’s garments and accoutrements all make reference to his status as a warrior with royal associations. He holds a shield in one hand and a ceremonial spear in the other, and the series of small bells that hang from his garment are indications of his status within the warrior class. The leopard – represented in the leopard-tooth necklace and the leopard face decorating the front of the figure’s garment – was an important symbol of the Benin kingship because of its power and ferociousness. Like memorial heads, this figure also wears a large coral necklace, symbolizing the wealth and power of the Oba he served. Nigeria, Africa

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