West Africa, Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, late 18th to early 19th century CE. A cast bronze attachment in the form of a human figure wearing a sash who extends both hands, bent at the elbows, to touch the heads of twin horses wearing bridles. The horse's front legs are included, but otherwise their bodies are just shown as a single cylindrical line upon whose back the human figure perches. There is also a flattened cylinder along the bottom, decorated with looping bronze circles, which acts as the stand for the legs of the horses and the human. Horses came to the Benin Kingdom from the north and were a very expensive commodity; to even own something that depicted a horse was the prerogative of the wealthy and powerful in that society. Size: 3.25" W x 3" H (8.3 cm x 7.6 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Private LA County collection

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#117267