Benin Kingdom Lost Wax Brass Artifacts

By K. Kris Hirst, About.com Guide

Figure Caption: Mastery of ritual medicine was a must for a man who wanted to rise in the palace. Rivals tried to incapacitate each other, whether through social embarrassment or total destruction. This 18th century brass hip pendant has an abstract elephant head over its mouth. It symbolizes power, its trunk (ending in a hand) clutching the leaves that are often used to make medicine. Photo: Penn Museum.

Exhibit Information

• Home Page: Iyare! Splendor and Tension in Benin's Palace Theatre
• Location: University for Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
• Address: 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
• Dates: November 8, 2008-March 1, 2009
• More Images

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• Benin Kingdom Lost Wax Brass Artifacts
• Royal Hip Ornament
• 16th Century Royal Waist Ornament
• Royal Ring, 19th Century
• Courtyard Plaque, 16th Century, Benin Kingdom
• Ceremonial Brass Bell, Benin Kingdom
• Brass Bird, Benin Kingdom

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