Bini-Portuguese Ivory Salt Cellar
Artist: Unattributed
Title: Bini-Portuguese Ivory Salt Cellar
Date: between 1530-1600
Location: Benin City, Nigeria
Materials and techniques: Carved Ivory
Dimensions: 7 ½ x 3 x 3 1/4in. (19.1x 7.6 x 8.3 cm)
Rights/Image Permissions: Public Domain. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.63a, b
The Bini-Portuguese Ivory Salt Cellar was created in the Kingdom of Benin. It is believed this ivory salt cellar was carved for a Portuguese patron between 1530 and 1600. At this time the Portuguese Empire had already established routes that went all the way to China. Portuguese sailors would dock in ports, like Lagos Port and go to markets to buy ivory, spices, and people. Available items included; tableware, decorated tusks, masks, and salt cellars.
This piece of art represents economic relations between several coastal West African kingdoms and peoples. Portugal mainly traded with the Kingdom of Benin, Sierra Leone, and the Yoruba kingdoms. Portugal colonized the coastal regions of the kingdom and part of Yorubaland. As 19th century neared its end what used to be the Kingdom of Benin became the French colony of Dahomey in 1892.
This piece was created by a Beninese court carver to show Portuguese colonizers in their journeys to Africa. The ivory salt cellar depicts four Portuguese men dressed in armor while carrying weapons. The salt cellar has the creative expressionism of the human form that is unique to African art instead of realism, while western art prized realism the African artists still preferred this style. This piece serves the colonial point of view that Africa is an uncivilized land that must be navigated with strength, with God by their side the Europeans would complete their task since they believed had a right to do so. In the same manner this ivory salt cellar can be interpreted to Africans as foreign invaders who have come to strip down them down of social, religious, cultural identity and freedom.
This piece of art represents economic relations between several coastal West African kingdoms and peoples. Portugal mainly traded with the Kingdom of Benin, Sierra Leone, and the Yoruba kingdoms. Portugal colonized the coastal regions of the kingdom and part of Yorubaland. As 19th century neared its end what used to be the Kingdom of Benin became the French colony of Dahomey in 1892.
This piece was created by a Beninese court carver to show Portuguese colonizers in their journeys to Africa. The ivory salt cellar depicts four Portuguese men dressed in armor while carrying weapons. The salt cellar has the creative expressionism of the human form that is unique to African art instead of realism, while western art prized realism the African artists still preferred this style. This piece serves the colonial point of view that Africa is an uncivilized land that must be navigated with strength, with God by their side the Europeans would complete their task since they believed had a right to do so. In the same manner this ivory salt cellar can be interpreted to Africans as foreign invaders who have come to strip down them down of social, religious, cultural identity and freedom.
Sources:
Elbl, Ivana. “Cross-Cultural Trade and Diplomacy: Portuguese Relations with West Africa, 1441-1521.” Journal of World History 3, no. 2 (1992): 165–204.
Gomes, Mário Varela, Tânia Manuel Casimiro, and Claudia Rodrigues Manso. "Afro-Portuguese Ivories from Sierra Leone and Nigeria (Yoruba and Benin Kingdoms) in Archaeological Contexts from Southern Portugal." African Arts 53, no. 4 (2020): 24-37.
Elbl, Ivana. “Cross-Cultural Trade and Diplomacy: Portuguese Relations with West Africa, 1441-1521.” Journal of World History 3, no. 2 (1992): 165–204.
Gomes, Mário Varela, Tânia Manuel Casimiro, and Claudia Rodrigues Manso. "Afro-Portuguese Ivories from Sierra Leone and Nigeria (Yoruba and Benin Kingdoms) in Archaeological Contexts from Southern Portugal." African Arts 53, no. 4 (2020): 24-37.