Pendant of a Portuguese horseman

This pendant is one of six that display a horse and rider.  The rider’s torso and arms are viewed head on, but his lower body and the horse appear in profile.  This twisting posture is a rare, dynamic stance in Benin art, one usually associated with foreigners. The horseman’s features and his armor clearly identify him as Portuguese. At his waist is a rapier, and in his right hand he carries a match stick—a forked staff for holding a slow burning match to ignite powder in a cannon.