{"product_id":"benin-royal-art-of-africa-from-the-museum-fur-volkerkunde-vienna-9783791313689","title":"Benin: Royal Art of Africa from the Museum Fur Volkerkunde  Vienna","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe ancient kingdom of Benin lies in the tropical rain forest of West Africa  in present-day Nigeria. During its classical age  from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century  it produced one of the continents most glorious artistic legacies. To reflect the splendor of the royal court  the Oba (king) commissioned highly skilled artisans to create rare and beautiful works of cast brass and carved ivory. These included human and animal figures  relief plaques  elephant tusks  pendants  bracelets  life-size commemorative heads of Obas and queen mothers  and ceremonial objects to adorn the royal palace and the altars honoring Obas of the past. The exquisite brass heads were intended to function as objects celebrating ancestors  as war trophies  and as focal points for sacrificial ceremonies. This volume presents a superb selection of artifacts from the Museum fur Volkerkunde in Vienna  home to one of the worlds foremost collections of Benin art. Most of these artifacts were acquired at the end of the last century  when the influx of Benin objects into Europe after the destruction of Benin City caused a sensation among art experts and caught the interest of museum representatives and private collectors. Of the more than one hundred works reproduced here in full color  the majority have never been seen as a group in the U.S. Most celebrated are the cast brass sculptures - including the two figures of dwarfs - which have no parallel in sub-Saharan Africa. A history of the kingdom of Benin up to the British punitive expedition of 1897 provides insight into the politics and culture of one of Africas greatest civilizations. Further chapters discuss the court hierarchy  the art of brasscasting  the art of Benin and its symbolism  and the history of the Benin Collection in Vienna. To interpret the rich symbolism in Benin art  the book furnishes detailed analyses of the works that are reproduced. In his description of myths and ritual observances  the author presents a fascinating cosmology  in which animals were assigned magical and medicinal powers  and the Oba was seen as an intermediary between the earth and the world of spirits.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45647042969653,"sku":"ByrdShop_3791313681","price":74.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9783791313689.jpg?v=1781686709","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/benin-royal-art-of-africa-from-the-museum-fur-volkerkunde-vienna-9783791313689","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}