Warrior Figure – Bronze – Edo – Benin

Large and heavy bronze warrior figure from Benin. African, Benin / Edo people of Nigeria, large bronze statue depicting a standing warrior, likely an Oba chief, wielding a pierced knife and wearing a necklace and intricate helmet, atop a textured square base.

Famous worldwide, African bronzes of the Kingdom of IFE are cast in wax molds that are destroyed (technique called the “lost wax” technique). This work begins by modeling a wax sculpture; then, one makes a mold of the sculpture by slightly coating it with refractory material: The Banko. After drying, the whole is heated, the wax melts and flows through the “empty” mold that is provided and arranged for this purpose. At the right moment, the empty wax mold is filled with liquid metal. The wax and bronze transformation is complete. After solidification and cooling of the bronze (brass by Western standards), the mold is broken to extract the sculpture. After which a long and elaborate work follows.

Provenance: Manfred Schäfer, former gallery owner from Ulm, Germany.