“The Benin Kingdom Warrior" is a one of a kind bronze masterpiece. It was hand carved in Nigeria in 1988. The warrior is mounted on a horse, holding a sword, and wearing a very interesting hat, a hat whose style was borrowed from the Portuguese.
“The Benin Kingdom Warrior” is cast from bronze using the lost wax method, which has been done in Benin City for centuries, since at least the 1400s when the Portuguese first visited Benin City for trade. Since the lost wax casting method melts away the details, the piece is completely unique and one of a kind.
When you purchase this piece, you are purchasing a piece of history, namely the fascinating and majestic history of Benin City. A little-known fact is the world’s largest man-made structure was made in Nigeria. Its length was over 9,900 miles, about four times that of the Great Wall of China. The Wall of Benin was used for defense of the historical Benin City, now the capital of the present-day Edo State of (southern) Nigeria. The Benin Walls were ravaged by the British in 1897. Other accomplishments of the Benin Kingdom are their disciplined army, infrastructure, and of course, royal artworks.
More significantly, perhaps, is that art from Benin has come to represent the achievements of the Nigerian peoples to reaffirm links to the autonomy of a precolonial past.
This unique piece was hand made by the Benin peoples of Nigeria. No factories or machinery was involved in the production process, only artisans and hand tools with painstaking detail and precision. This piece is made out of natural materials and is free from any fillers, dyes, stains, or varnishes. There is ONLY ONE piece in existence--truly one of a kind.
Some more information about York's Shona Gallery:
• We are based in New York City and opened NYC's first African art gallery in 1985
• Family and Minority Owned & Operated
• Each Purchase Supports Tribes in Africa
