Relief plaque showing a battle scene

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 dynamic relief is one of only six in the world that show Benin warriors in action. The plaques were cast to help recount historical events at court; this particular scene may document the conquest of Lagos in the 1550s. A Benin war chief pulls an enemy from his horse and prepares to behead him. The enemy, identified by the scarifications on his cheek, has already been pierced by a lance. The war chief and the enemy, the focus of the scene, are depicted in profile, while other figures appear frontally: two smaller enemies (one hovers above the action, the other holds the horse) and three Benin warriors—one with a shield and spear, one junior soldier playing a flute, and one playing a side-blown ivory trumpet.