Page 27 - Works of Art from Benin-Nigeria- West Africa

22 Antique Work* of Art from Benin.

DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XI.

Figs. 66 to 72. The historic mace ot office of Duboar, late King of Benin ; 5 feet
4 inches and made of brass. This was found an officer of the
long, by
expedition in the state apartment of the palaver house, and was evidently
left behind by the king's people on account of its heavy weight, in their
hurried exodus from Benin the is said to have since
city ; king recognized
this staff, and stated that it had been handed down for many hundreds ot
"
years from king to king. It has the representation of Overami," or
reigning monarch, on the summit, dressed in the usual manner of Benin
warriors. He is on an which has a
standing elephant proboscis terminating
in a human hand. This is often in the bronze
peculiarity represented very
of the Benin and
antiquities country, especially on the carved tusk, Figs.
167 and 168, Plate XXVI, and must some fetish
probably represent great ;
the present race, on enquiries being made, could not elucidate this matter, so
its must date back This is in turn
history many ages. elephant supported
by the usual two royal leopards. The monarch holds in his right hand his
chief which never leaves him or in his left hand he holds
ju-ju, night day ;
which are looked to the
a neolithic or stone axe head, edge upwards, up by
natives even now with awe and The interior of the
great superstition.
a of metal inside, formed like
upper part of the mace is hollow, having piece
a long crotal, and was used as a bell to keep order. The broad leaf-shaped
swords and the execution swords are in several over the
depicted places
mace. It is ornamented with guilloche pattern of two and three bands
with Part of the mace is ornamented in imitation of
intervening pellets.
twine Near the foot of the staff is the of another
binding. figure elephant
with in a human a like a
proboscis terminating hand, holding plant prickly-
Beneath the are two human with Maltese crosses on
pear. elephant figures,
breasts, axes in left hands, and sticks in right. Below this are two axes
halted in serpents' heads, which have human hands in their mouths and
sinuous bodies. Crocodile, head downwards, and two interlaced mud-fish.