“For centuries, the bronzes of Benin have stood as enduring symbols of a great African civilization. Created for the royal palaces of the Obas, these works include palace plaques, altar heads, ceremonial vessels, and zoomorphic figures. Not only do they showcase exquisite craftsmanship through the lost-wax casting technique, they also serve as an invaluable historic record of the Kingdom of Benin’s dynasties, rituals, and global connections. Each artifact in our collection is a storyteller – conveying episodes of court life, reverence for ancestral Obas, or the kingdom’s early encounters with European traders.”