Benin Plaques
- Gallery: Room 25
- Made in: Benin City
- Date: 16thC-17thC
- Object type: plaque
- Materials: brass
- Museum number: Af1898,0115.176
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
This is a Benin Plaque, a remarkable example of royal art from Benin City. The plaque is cast in brass using a refined lost-wax technique, forming a narrow rectangular shape. You'll notice decorative river leaf patterns and stippling on the background, with fine details that catch the light.
At the center is an eben sword, cast in low relief. The sword's large leaf-shaped blade has a central rib marked with dot patterns, and a handle that twists into a ring. These plaques once adorned the pillars of the Oba’s palace, serving both as decoration and political statement during a time of growing external and internal pressures.
Most scholars date these plaques to the 16th–17th centuries. They form a unique artistic legacy, known for their depth of relief and storytelling quality. Some show court life, others document historical moments. Despite the passage of time, these works remain a vivid testament to the Edo people’s artistic mastery.
See it in person
Benin Plaques is on display in Room 25 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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