Art and/or Ethnographica

• Art Object


  An object that speaks to the viewer due to its expressive achievement and aesthetic appeal
• Ethnographic Object


  An object that documents the conversation among producers, users, and scholars about its intended use and surrounding cultural beliefs
• Theoretical categories of art and ethnographic objects may overlap; some objects serve as both art and evidence of cultural practices
• Art objects can be appreciated for their visual interest regardless of contextual information
• Felix von Luschan


  • Highlights the beauty and craftsmanship of Benin bronze plaques and carved ivories, considering them art objects
  • Discusses objects like fishing nets and knives from Micronesia, collected in the same period, for their cultural significance rather than aesthetic appeal
• Benin Art


  Artworks created during the Kingdom of Benin (also known as the Edo empire), which existed in Southern Nigeria from 1440 to 1897. Benin art is known for its sculptures and plaques, primarily constructed of cast bronze and carved ivory, constructed for the royal court of the Oba, the divine ruler of the kingdom
• Benin Art Collection History

  1. Benin art collection has its origins in the late 19th century, acquired during the British military conquest of Benin City in 1897

  2. Over 900 bronze plaques, finely cast heads, and carved ivory tusks were confiscated from the King's court and shipped to London

  3. Most seized ivory and bronze works were sold in large public auctions by August 1898

  4. Dr. Felix von Luschan collected over 580 works for the Berlin Museum of Ethnography
• Oba Ovanramwen of Benin signed a trading arrangement with the British, granting them preferential trade access


  1892
• British military takeover of Benin after tensions grew when Ovanramwen opposed British trade policy


  1897
• British Museum retained only 200 pieces, while Dr. Felix von Luschan collected over 580 works for the Berlin Museum of Ethnography


  1898
• Von Luschan obtained 263 additional Benin works, widely distributing Benin art among public and private collections in the UK, Germany, and Austria


  1901
• Annie Coombe's scholarly inquiry

  • Racism influenced the segregation of African art from mainstream art institutions
  • British used narratives of Benin's "savagery" to justify war over trade
  • Ethnographic institutions abroad were the largest buyers of Benin art works when Britain sold them in 1898
• German museum practice in the 19th century

  • Strictly divided into kunstgeschichte (art historical), kulturhistoriche (cultural history), and kunstgewerbe (arts and crafts) museums
  • Ethnographic museums expanded their collections, becoming signifiers of wealth and modernity for German cities
  • Ethnographic museums had huge budgets and aggressive acquisition policies, ready to buy any object offered to them
• Felix von Luschan


  • Did not seek to privilege the Benin work's ethnographic status above their aesthetic status
  • Argued that Benin pieces belonged in the au courant, scientifically valid space of the ethnographic museum, not the less prestigious kunstgewerbe museum
  • Admired the Benin objects as unique, inherently valuable works of art, willing to pay any price to acquire them
  • Effectively promoted the Benin bronzes and ivories as artworks to the Euro-American world
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) was the first museum to show Benin pieces in the US, during its "African Negro Art" exhibition