Sobre el lote Lote N° 73
Título : Benin Ivory Bracelet
Talla : length 5 1/8 in. 13cmProcedencia : PROPERTY FROM A EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTIONJacob Epstein, LondonCarlo Monzino CollectionLiterature : Fagg 1960: number 66Vogel 1986: number 81Bassani and McCleod 1989: figure 191Notas : At palace festivals in Benin the Oba and the chiefs wear ornate pairs of bracelets as part of their regalia which includes coral-beaded collars and headresses, sumptuous layers of cloth and brass hip ornaments. 'These long cylindrical cuffs are worn at the wrist, and can be seen in many of the Benin brass plaques (see Von Luschan 1919: 19 for two plaques with figures wearing armbands). Ivory versions are ususally reserved for the king, while those worn by chiefs are made of cast or hammered brass. The Oba and chiefs also wear thin circular bracelets of brass, iron, or leather and bracelets of coral beads, which are also worn at times other than festivals and may be worn by commoners as well.Dark (1973: illustration 81) dates an almost identical bracelet to the offered lot as sixteenth century, the period of Benin's glory when a series of powerful warrior kings ruled. Historically ivory carvers in Benin were organized into a guild called the igbesamwan and they lived and worked together on a special street. Ivory was rare and valuable. The guild's first obligation was to the Oba, and the ivory they carved was supplied by elephant hunters who in turn were required to give one tusk of every elephant to the Oba (Bassani and Fagg 1988:154).The iconography on the offered bracelet captures a rich array of elements associated with the Oba, which would have underscored the image the Oba wished to portray in an important ceremony or festival. On the bracelet, the Oba wears layers of highly ornate coral beads and is surrounded by his attendants and chiefs. The Oba is depicted with mudfish legs, a sign of royalty, and he is grasped by 'the birds of prophecy' on either side. The birds are associated with the great sixteenth century warrior king, Esigie. All coral and stone beads are owned by the Oba, and they are made by a special guild of beadmakers, who are responsible for making the coral or redstone beads worn by the Oba, chiefs, and members of the palace associations at festivals. The beads are distributed by the Oba to the chiefs for use during the festivals, but must be returned to him on the death of the holder (Ezra 1989:234). The king alone wears a complete costume of beads which are not merely decorative but are imbued with divine authority. The presence of the beaded figures on the bracelet here clearly shows the importance of the wearer and the divine connection.Interspersed in the background of the bracelet are leopard heads. In Benin thought the leopard is considered the counterpart to the Oba, seen as terrifying and ferocious, but also as a leader. According the Ben-Amos (1980: figure 99) the head of the leopard, as is depictecd here, may also refer to the Edo proverb, 'It is the head of the leopard that accomplishes things for the leopard', that is, for the king.To the sides of the groups of main figures are smaller equestrian figures, which may refer to the Portuguese on horseback, representing the period in the early sixteenth century when Oba Esigie expanded the wealth, power and extent of the Benin kingdom, largely through his commercial, military, and political relationship to the Portuguese.Perhaps the most striking element of this bracelet and the five others of this style and age that are known (possibly forming three pairs altogether) is the superb workmanship displaying the highest level of Benin carving in ivory. Three bracelets were in the Monzino collection ( Vogel 1986: figures 79-81), including the present example, and three in the British Museum illustrated in Dark (1973: plate 39). The two on the left in Dark (ibid.) form a pair and were acquired in 1922 by the museum from Lady F. G. Campbell. Her husband, Sir Charles Campbell had been a member of the 1897 punitive expedition to Benin, they are also published in von Luschan (1919: abb 600 and 601). The third, to the right, was acquired from Mrs. D. K. Oldman in 1949. She was the wife of the important dealer, William Oldman, and it is possible that the Monzino bracelet was acquired from Oldman by Jacob Epstein in the first half of the twentieth century. Of the group, this bracelet appears to be the most complex and rich, with special attention given to the proportion of the figures and their relationship to the surrounding iconography.Sotheby's, subastador, New York, US
🔓Sin tarjeta de crédito.
Título de venta : African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art
Fecha de la venta : 11/11/2004
🔓Sin tarjeta de crédito.
Referencia de la subasta : Live Sale
