Extremely Rare Scepter Or Ceremonial Knife From Benin In Bronze And Old Iron

Superb scepter or ceremonial knife from Benin the blade is somewhat altered the bronze handle is in perfect condition, it represents a leopard's head It is finely sawn and has a beautiful patina Total dimensions 56cm high than the handle 17cm and the blade 39cm for a total width of 10cm the base has been sold with Benin since the 15th century and the presence of the Portuguese, English and French has reached a certain perfection in bronze casting Although very difficult to date, we especially know their wealth of production from the end of the nineteenth century This ceremonial knife is quite rare on the market The king of Benin was the Oba, who was glorified by a highly developed court art, including these leopards carved with the technique of the lost wax and cast in bronze (brass made up of copper and lead), are one of the most representative elements. The leopard symbolically occupied the same place among animals as the Oba on his subjects. The Kingdom of Benin is also famous for its bronze Oba heads, its sculptures of court dwarves, European soldiers, its carved ivory tusks, and especially the bronze plaques that adorned the Oba Palace.