Overview:

To see the full details about this exhibition, including related events and images, click here. 

Member Preview Day: July 9

This summer, the Art Institute is the exclusive North American venue for the landmark exhibition Benin—Kings and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria, featuring the royal arts of the Benin kingdom in south-central Nigeria. On view will be spectacular works in brass and ivory from the 15th through the 20th century, including palace plaques, altar sculpture, ritual objects, and courtly regalia.

Altar Group (Aseberia) with Oba Akenzua I and Attendants, 18th century. Edo; Benin Kingdom, Nigeria. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Ethnologisches Museum, III C 8164.

The royal arts of the Benin kingdom affirm the centrality of the oba, or divine king, and portray his divine nature. They recount the kingdom’s significant historical events, activate the oba’s interactions with the supernatural, and honor his deified ancestors, forging a continuity that is vital to the kingdom’s well-being. Through these extraordinary works of art, the exhibition traces Benin’s history—from its origins to the arrival of Portuguese envoys in the 15th century to the growing wealth of the kingdom from coastal trade. It also looks at themes of kingship, hierarchy, and ritual within Benin’s royal court. In 1897 British forces invaded the Benin kingdom. The exhibition closes by considering the reconfiguration of Benin’s monarchy and its arts following this course-altering event.

The Art Institute’s presentation of Benin—Kings and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria features approximately 220 works of art from collections in Europe, Nigeria, and the United States.

Catalogue: The 40-page catalogue Benin: Royal Arts of a West African Kingdom, created especially for the Art Institute’s presentation, highlights 22 of the exhibition's masterworks. An insightful essay by curator Kathleen Bickford Berzock considers the meaning and use of these objects against the backdrop of Benin’s long history. The catalogue will be available in mid-July in the Museum Shop and online at www.artinstituteshop.org.

Organizer: Benin—Kings and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria is an exhibition of the Museum für Völkerkunde Wien—Kunsthistorisches Museum, in cooperation with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria; the Ethnologisches Museum—Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Musée du Quai Branly, Paris.

Sponsor:

Sara Lee Foundation is a Proud Corporate Sponsor.

Major funding is provided by the Perucca Family Foundation.

Additional support is made possible by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation.