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Oba on Horseback (17th century) — British Museum

Cast brass equestrian figure of an Oba (king) of the Kingdom of Benin, 17th century CE. One of a small group of three-dimensional bronze equestrian sculptures produced by the Igun Eronmwon guild. The horse was a prestige animal acquired via trans-Saharan trade; its association with the Oba reinforces themes of military power and sovereign wealth. Seized in 1897 and held at the British Museum.

Scholarly Significance

Benin equestrian figure type — rare three-dimensional brass casting showing the Oba on horseback, emblematic of prestige and military power. Q06 smoke-test Benin Bronze cluster node.

Notes

  • ·Horses were not native to the forest zone of Benin; they were expensive prestige imports via trans-Saharan trade, dying quickly in the tsetse-fly environment.
  • ·The equestrian motif in Benin art does not signify cavalry military function directly but rather political prestige and cosmopolitan connection.
  • ·Three-dimensional equestrian figures are technically among the most demanding Benin bronze productions, requiring complex multi-part mold assemblies.