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Portuguese with rifle

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The figure of an armed Portuguese symbolises the military support provided by the Portuguese soldiers during the conquests of Benin, especially under the rule of Ozolua and Esigie. The increase in wealth by the Portuguese, who were associated with the sea god Olokun, resulted not only from the trade and import of such important goods as brass and coral, but also from the expansion of the kingdom through conquest. Depictions of Edo are often strictly frontal and static. In contrast, the two Portuguese show a dynamic pose.

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Cataloguing data

Object type
Plastic
Dimensions
Height: 46 cm
Depth: 22 cm
Width: 20,5 cm
Weight: 12,1 kg
Material/Technique
Brass
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 10863

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    where
    Benin [kingdom]
  • Production
    when
    16th century - 18th century
    where
    Nigeria
    Benin
  • Collecting
    who
    Meyer, Hans - Former Possessors
    William Downing Webster (1868-05-11 - 1913-01-14) - Collectors
  • Change of legal title:
    Acquisition
    Description
    16th century - 18th century, commissioned by the Igun Eronmwon or Guild of Brass Casters in the Kingdom of Benin; location and ownership before 1897 in the Kingdom of Benin unclear; probably looted in connection with the British conquest of Benin, 1897; in unknown ownership after the conquest of the Kingdom of Benin; purchased by Hans Meyer from William D. Webster, 1899; exchanged with Hans Meyer, 1899.
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Africa

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

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