Page 182 - Art In The Age Of Exploration (Great Section on Chinese Art Ming Dynasty)

64-65 entourage included "some tame leopards and forcement of the king's mystical powers. A pair of
a goodly number of dwarfs and deaf people leopards in brass or ivory were usually placed on
PAIR OF LEOPARDS whose function was to entertain the king/' The either side of the king when he sat in state (Ben-
cats and dwarfs are also illustrated in the plate Amos 1980, 20, 64).
i6th century (?) accompanying the text. In Benin art the leopard is the most frequently
Edo peoples, Benin kingdom, Nigeria In Benin culture the leopard was the symbol of represented animal, depicted in different contexts
copper alloy the Oba, a metaphor for royal power because of its but always in some way connected with the Oba.
length 69 (2jVs)
references: Dapper 1686; Elisofon and Pagg 1958, combination of threatening force and prudent Besides statues of this type, leopards appeared as
171,172; Ben-Amos 1976, 246-247; Ben-Amos reserve (Quarcoopone 1983, 95; see also Ben- ewers in imitation of European models, on bas-
1980, 20, 64; Eyo and Willett 1980, 81-82; Amos 1976, 246-247). In the*cosmology of the relief plaques, and on hip pendants. Often the
Quarcoopone 1983, 95 ancient African kingdom, the leopard was cele- head stands for the whole animal; in other cases
brated as "king of the bush/' and only specialized the leopard's skin is worn by the warriors also
Nigerian National Museum, Lagos
hunters in the exclusive service of the king were shown on the plaques.
The seventeenth-century Dutch author Olfert allowed to hunt it. Leopards were sacrificed at the Brass was most often the medium, although we
Dapper notes in his description of the ride of the coronation of the Oba and on the occasion of the do know of leopard images done in ivory, notably
Oba of Benin around the royal palace that the Iguae, the annual ceremony dedicated to the rein- an imposing pair (each animal is 83 cm. long) now

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