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.