Circular Plaque with Portuguese Figures

The kingdom of Benin, located in the modern state of Nigeria, is notable for its rich repertoire of ceremonial and ritual objects that support the institution of divine rulership. They are typically crafted from precious materials such as brass and ivory and feature imagery unique to the Benin institution of kingship. Wall plaques, either cast in bronze or hammered from sheets of brass, often illustrate scenes from court life or military conquests, showing the king as the largest centrally placed figure. Other plaques, such as this one, illustrate the relationship between the Benin kingdom and the Portuguese, with whom they began trading in the late 1400s. This ongoing relationship in part facilitated the rise to power of the Benin kingdom in the region. Here two jaunty Portuguese merchants are seen among objects of European manufacture imported into the kingdom, but since this plaque was created centuries after the Portuguese ceased to be Benin's primary trading partner, their representation serves a symbolic purpose. As cultural outsiders who traveled to Africa across the ocean, the Portuguese image was understood to represent the spiritual realm of Olokun, the god of the sea, the afterlife, and of wealth. The image of the Portuguese served as a power symbol for kingship
and the divine underpinnings of wealth.