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African & Tribal Art :
Yoruba Sculptures : Yoruba Brass Sculpture of a Portuguese Man
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Yoruba Brass Sculpture of a Portuguese Man - PF.5410
Origin: Southwestern Nigeria
Circa: 20
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
8" (20.3cm) high
x 3" (7.6cm) wide
Collection: African
Style: Yoruba
Medium: Brass
$1,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Holding a notched club in his right hand and
clutching a flask, which hangs around his neck,
this standing male has African features
(particularly Yoruba) and wears a Portuguese
style hat that is peaked at both ends. His long
skirt stops at the hips leaving the legs, lower
portion of the buttocks, and genitals exposed.
Though his arms are curved in an “elastic”
manner, the legs are straight and feet firmly
planted on the base. The first contact with Benin
by Portuguese explorers occurred in 1486, thus
commencing a long relationship based in trade.
Images of these Europeans were incorporated in
Benin art as early as the 16th Century, in part
intended to denote the power of the king whose
wealth derived from foreign trade. The
fascination of this figure is demonstrated in the
blending of European characteristics with African
stylistic features in a manner that reveals noble
elements of both.
- (PF.5410)
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