Search Results: Kingdom of Benin

The Kingdom of Benin, located in the southern forests of West Africa (modern Nigeria) and formed by the Edo people, flourished from the 13th to 19th century CE. The capital, also called Benin, was the hub of a trade network exclusively controlled...

The Oyo Empire flourished from the 17th to 19th century CE in what is today southwest Nigeria. The Oyo forged an empire thanks to their formidable cavalry units and so came to dominate other Yoruba peoples of the region. The Oyo Empire, with...

Ife (aka Ile-Ife) was an ancient African city which flourished between the 11th and 15th century CE in what is today Nigeria in West Africa. Ife was the capital and principal religious centre of the Yoruba kingdom of Ife, which prospered...

A cast brass plaque depicting warriors of the kingdom of Benin (13-19th century CE) in West Africa (modern southern Nigeria). The central figure is likely a king (Oba). From Benin City, 16th-17th century CE. Height: 47.6 cms (Metropolitan...

A carved ivory hip pendant in the form of a mask. The kingdom of Benin (13-19th century CE) in West Africa (modern southern Nigeria). With bronze and iron inlays. Possibly depicting Queen Idia. Benin City, 16th century CE. Height: 24.5 cm...

A cast brass head, probably of a king (Oba) and used as an altarpiece decoration. The kingdom of Benin (13-19th century CE) in West Africa (modern southern Nigeria). From Benin City, 16th-17th century CE. Height: 24 cms (British Museum...

A cast brass plaque perhaps commemorating rulers of the kingdom of Benin (13-19th century CE) in West Africa (modern southern Nigeria). From Benin City, 16th-17th century CE. Height: 45.5 cms (British Museum, London)

The ancient and medieval Mediterranean might have been a bustling stage of ever-changing empires but, across the inhospitable barrier of the Sahara Desert, West Africans were equally busy building up and toppling down their own kingdoms and...

Oshun (pronounced O-shan, also given as Osun) is a supernatural entity recognized as both a spirit and a goddess in the Yoruba religion of West Africa. She presides over fertility, love, and freshwater, is the patroness of the Osun River...

The Nok culture, named after the settlement of the same name, flourished in southern West Africa (modern Nigeria) during the Iron Age from the 5th century BCE to the 2nd century CE. Famous for the distinctive terracotta sculptures of human...