Brass figure of a Portuguese soldier holding a musket

This is one of several figures of Portuguese soldiers made from the sixteenth century onwards by the guild of brass casters in Benin City, modern southern Nigeria.The stance is unusual in Benin court art in being dynamic rather than static and frontal as normally represented, and the figure is barefooted. The costume and weaponry of these figures is closely observed. This particular figure is depicted holding a matchlock (firearm). Figures such as this Portuguese soldier were placed on royal altars as a statement of the oba’s (king's) power.

During the second half of the fifteenth century Portuguese navigators began to explore the West African coast. They arrived in Benin between 1472 and 1486 and found a sophisticated society likely ruled by Oba Ozolua (c.1481-1504) or Oba Esigie (c.1504-1550). Cast sculptures and relief plaques from Benin City portray in meticulous detail some of these historical encounters. They also provide significant information about local political interests and motivations. Benin rulers were eager to access the military equipment of the Portuguese to aid them in their campaigns to expand their empire. . The firearms were provided by the Europeans as well as the Portuguese mercenaries. They fought with Oba Esigie against the Igala kingdom in the early sixteenth century. This is said to have greatly contributed to the success of these campaigns.
The Portuguese were represented in Benin art in various forms. Their arrival by sea carrying luxury goods offered a comparison to the local god Olokun who was the ruler of the sea and provider of great wealth.

Legend recounts that the oba fought with Olokun on the beach, subdued him and stripped him of his wealth. These European soldier figures possibly reflected this victory. They became an enduring image of the oba’s divine power, status and wealth.