It provides a fascinating guide to what life and religion were like in the kingdom of Benin. Most of the ancient art of Benin is royal and honors the Oba, or king of the Benin Kingdom. We can get an idea of the kingdom’s grandeur and accomplishments from the bronze plaques commissioned by the kings (Obas) to commemorate and record achievements during their reign. The Imagery of Power on Benin Bronze Plaques. Take a virtual tour of the permanent Benin exhibit at the National Museum of African Art, a portion of the Smithsonian Institute. The kingdom of Benin was established in 40BC and was at its height and glory between the 14th and the 16th centuries. Edo, people of southern Nigeria who speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family. The Edo numbered about 3.8 million at the turn of the 21st century. This is the currently selected item. The Ancient West African City of Benin The Benin were skilled in the use of bronze, had a developed monarchy and practiced human sacrifice to appease their gods. Benin and Togo are the Land of the Vodũ and I would be willing to give a 100% guarantee that if one ever deigned to visit, especially under the guidance of Erick Gbodossou, one would be maximally impacted, willingly or no. Nevertheless, Voodoo is still a rather misunderstood religion due to its inaccurate portrayal by the media. Some animals, such as crocodiles and leopards, appear many times in the art of Benin. Benin's priests try to dispel misconceptions about ancient religion practised by half the country's population A voodoo ceremony in Ouidah, Benin, the cradle of voodoo. Queen Mother Pendant Mask (Iyoba) (Edo peoples) Benin Plaque: Equestrian Oba and Attendants. Benin Art: Patrons, Artists and Current Controversies. In Benin and Haiti, Voodoo is now officially recognized as a religion. 2. It constitutes one of the 31 guilds of the Oba of Benin, in the ancient Benin kingdom. Today Benin includes not only the ancient Fon kingdom of Dahomey but also areas inhabited by many other groups. Their territory is west of the Niger River and extends from hilly country in the north to swamps in the Niger Delta. The general aesthetic principles of Benin art, according to Kathryn Gunsch (2018), are triadic symmetry, frontality, alternation, and decoration in the round. People thought that the Oba a) was a great warrior b) was a god c) did not need to sleep or eat d) All of the above 3. The Kingdom of Benin. The Kingdom of Ancient Benin was at its strongest around _____ but eventually cam to an end in _____ when _____. Benin and the Portuguese.