Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Chiefs in Benin Kingdom have used ceremonial swords called eben since at least the sixteenth century. Made with a distinctive leaf-shaped blade, chiefs have danced with eben ceremonial swords before the king, which includes skillful twirling, throwing, and catching that increases the chief’s status. On certain occasions, the king himself may also display an eben in honor of his ancestors.

Royal arts of Benin Kingdom, including artworks now commonly known as “Benin bronzes,” are central to current debates on the restitution of African artworks from museum collections. In 1897, British officials raided and looted Benin Kingdom’s palace, taking thousands of royal objects back to Britain. These works eventually entered public and private collections worldwide. We do not know when or under what circumstances this artwork left Benin Kingdom, as current provenance records trace its ownership back to a collector in New York. The Eskenazi Museum is committed to transparency in sharing collection histories and will update this text as new information comes to light.