Relief plaque showing two officials with raised swords

Battle by battle, Benin expanded from a kingdom to an empire. In the sixteenth century, the kings of Benin ruled more than two million subjects in an area about the size of New England. During this period, the sprawling palace in Benin City was made up of many courtyards that could host large crowds, as well as private areas for the royal family and members of the court. One of the courtyards was decorated with more than 850 bronze plaques like this one, which were attached to the square pillars supporting the roof of the veranda that shaded the perimeter of the space. Oba Esigie (r. 1517–50s) likely commissioned this massive art project as a way of asserting his authority after a succession struggle and civil war, while his son Orhogbua (r. 1550s–70s) may have completed the vast project after his father’s death.

This plaque depicts two senior courtiers with ceremonial swords held aloft. These swords were used in special celebrations at court, when high-ranking men would send them twirling into the air and catch them before they fell to the ground. The figures on this plaque are wearing a wealth of coral beads, which can be seen in their crowns, high necklaces, bands crossing the chest, and anklets. The leopard-face ornaments cinching the men’s wrappers, on each man’s left hip, also point to the king’s power; the Benin king was often metaphorically compared to a leopard, a fast, powerful, and stealthy animal.