Plaque: Oba or Chief

16th–17th century

The Kingdom of Benin, initially established by the Edo-speaking people, was a centralized city-state that underwent constant cultural changes as it responded to shifting internal and external power dynamics. According to oral tradition, around 1300, the Edo chiefs sought out the leader of Ife, Oranmiyan, to establish a new divinely sanctioned royal dynasty. Subsequently, the title of obas was conferred on Benin's rulers, signifying their role as both chief priests in religious ceremonies and leaders of a complex palace structure. During the reign of Oba Ewuare in the 15th century, Benin's armies were formed, and the capital was fortified with a massive wall. In the meantime, Portuguese traders sought exclusive commercial treaties with the powerful polity. By 1500, Benin's authority extended from the Niger delta in the east to the coastal lagoon of Lagos in the west, exporting pepper, textiles, and ivory in exchange for imported metals. This influx of brass inspired creativity by court artists, who produced works ranging from ancestral portraits to decorative plaques. From the beginning of such exchanges, Europeans commissioned ivory artifacts from Edo carvers for princely collections in Europe.