The Politics of Patronage and the Igun Artworker in

John Ogene

All photogrAphs by the Author, 2006–2007, except where otherwise noted

he contrast between The brass workers’ guild is located on Igun Street in Benin kings of the old empire City, a destination for tourists and scholars from all over the state of Benin and the world. Obas Eweka II (1914–1933) and Akenzua (1933–1978), politics of patronage in father and grandfather of the current Oba, opened the market Benin City in the twen- for non-royal patronage, enabling the guildsmen to survive and, tieth century has had in time, to thrive. It is a common feature to find there a crossover its effects on the traditions of Igun, the of traditional and contemporary artists today. brass-castersT guild. However, the shift in their fortunes caused by the fall of Oba Ovonramwen (1897) and the subsequent renaissance by Obas Eweka II (1914– 1933) and Akenzua (1933–1978), who opened the market for non-royal patron- age, is still playing out. Today, works by Benin casters commemorate the trau- matic events in Benin history in monu- ments and sculptures. They sell their products to an outsider market as well as to Nigeria’s nouveau-riche, among them portraits in brass. To the twenty- first century Igun artist, portraits of gov- ernors are no less historical documents than those of Oba (1504–1547) and his mother Queen Idia. These are the two (opposite, counterclockwise from top) extremes of one continuum, represented 1 entry to igun street, neighborhood inhabited by here in photographs with extended cap- members of the bronze-workers guild. benin city, tions that evoke historical contexts and nigeria. explore these fascinating processes. 2 Mama isoken otote, gallery owner, igun street.

3 Mr. david erewe , workshop and gallery owner, ewere & sons, igun street.

4 Mr. ineh, ceo of ineh gallery, igun street.

42 | african arts spring 2012 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/afar.2012.45.1.42 by guest on 27 September 2021

af_42-49.indd 42 11/14/2011 10:37:04 AM

spring 2012 african arts | 43 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/afar.2012.45.1.42 by guest on 27 September 2021

af_42-49.indd 43 11/14/2011 10:37:29 AM The attack on Vice Consul Phillips dur- ing the traditional Ague festival heralded a chain of events that culminated in the British invasion of the Benin Kingdom in 1897. It is commemorated in a public sculpture featuring the victorious head of the Benin Army. The hierarchic placement of the figures restates the Benin view that the arrival of the British party at this time was inappropriate and specifically counter to instructions the British received from the king, a sacrilege that warranted drastic action. The starkly contrasting colors used for African and European lend further drama to the scene. The sculpture was cre- ated by Bello Kuranga in 1996–97 and is located in Kings Square (Ring Road) by Sakponba Road Junction, Benin City.

5 public sculpture by bello Kuranga (1996–1997) commemorating the 1897 attack on Vice consul phillips, featuring the edo general leading the charge. Kings square (ring road) by sakponba road Junction, benin city.

6 exile boat (oba ovonramwen leaving for exile in 1897) by emuze and sons. 2006. cast copper alloy. photographed at the artist’s studio in igun street. emuze’s personal collection. the “exile boat” and its treatment as an heroic moment became popular subjects for artists in several media in the late 1990s, linked to the centennial commemoration of the british sacking of benin city

The victory of the Benin army and the death of Vice Consul Philips and his party resulted in a punitive expedition dispatched to Nigeria, the sacking of Benin City, and the looting of the Oba’s palace. In the after- math, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolok- polo Oba Ovonramwen N’Ogbaisi, the , was sent into exile to Calabar in 1897. The sculpture showing Oba Ovon- ramwen leaving for exile in 1897 and its treatment as an heroic moment, in contrast to contemporary photographic documents of this event, became a popular subject for artists in several media in the late 1990s, linked to the centennial commemoration of the British sacking of Benin City. This example, produced by Emuze and Sons, is retained in Emuze’s personal collection.

44 | african arts spring 2012 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/afar.2012.45.1.42 by guest on 27 September 2021

af_42-49.indd 44 11/14/2011 10:37:37 AM As a long-standing tradition, ancestral heads and numerous items were made by the guildsmen for the King’s altar erected by his heir as part of the ritual of succes- sion. Oba Eweka II (the exiled Oba’s son) not only continued the tradition of his forefathers, he was also a brass worker. Current practice combines the classi- cal traditional style with the contempo- rary interest in naturalistic and pictorial realism. Besides rendering their works from direct memory in what could be termed “remembrance” mode, they now apply imaging measurements directly from photographs, as illustrated here by a memorial portrait, commissioned from Omadamwen & Sons Workshop by the children of the subject after his death, and the photograph used by the artist to cre- ate the likeness. The brass-workers refer to this type of sculpture as “resemblance” mode. According to gallery owners, it is quite lucrative to do “resemblance” works, because the patrons for these are usually affluent. Madam Otote herself recalled an 7 Memorial portrait commissioned by the children of the subject after his order from the federal government worth death, showing the photograph used by the artist to create the likeness. omad- half a million naira, over $5,000. amwen & sons workshop, 2003. photo: courtesy of JeAn borgAtti

8 portraits waiting to be collected from david ewere’s workshop. on the left is the portrait of pa igbinevbo of unhunvbode. photographed 2006.

Students and staff of the Univer- sity of Benin’s Department of Fine and Applied Arts take their concepts to Igun Street where they gain assistance from the guildsmen. By patronizing the brass smiths, the university trained artists have gradually influenced the style, moving it from the classical tradition to a more Westernized practice featuring natural- ism and pictorial realism, as suggested by “resemblance” sculptures, portraits wait- ing to be collected from David Ewere’s workshop, flanking a traditional “remem- brance” figure of an Oba. On the left is the portrait of Pa Igbinevbo of Unhunvbode, photographed in 2006.

spring 2012 african arts | 45 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/afar.2012.45.1.42 by guest on 27 September 2021

af_42-49.indd 45 11/14/2011 10:37:57 AM (clockwise from top left) 9 portrait bust of Mrs. governor Achike udenwa, the first lady of imo state, by emuze and sons. 2006. cast copper alloy.

10 portrait of the Asagba of Asaba, delta state. cast copper alloy. produced in 2006 at osadolor igbineweka’s workshop. photographed courtesy the delta state council for Arts and culture, Asaba.

11 portrait of d.s.p. Alamiesegha, the impeached governor of bayelsa state, by emuze and sons. 2006. cast copper alloy.

46 | african arts spring 2012 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/afar.2012.45.1.42 by guest on 27 September 2021

af_42-49.indd 46 11/14/2011 10:38:14 AM 12 portrait of omozuwa, oil magnate from delta state, Changes in government and the combination of “remem- produced in 2006 at osadolor igbineweka’s workshop. brance” and “resemblance” have enabled the brass-workers to attract such new patrons as state governors and their first ladies, as seen here in the portrait of the first lady of Imo State, Mrs. Achike Udenwa, made by Emuze and Sons.1 Apart from portraits of governors, there exist patron- age links with royalty from other parts of modern Nigeria— something unthinkable in earlier times—notably portraits of kings from the oil-rich Delta State ordered by State Governor Chief James Ibori as gifts for these traditional rulers. This por- trait of the Asagba of Asaba was produced in 2006 at Osado- lor Igbineweka’s workshop and photographed courtesy of the Delta State Council for Arts and Culture, Asaba. Additional commissions take the form of souvenirs and memorabilia of officialdom and excellence in service. Still others reflect the patronage by Commissioners and tech- nocrats from all parts of Nigeria, such as a portrait of the father of a rich petroleum magnate in Benin City identified by Ewere, an artworker from Osadolor Igbineweka’s workshop where the image was made, simply as Omozuwa.

spring 2012 african arts | 47 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/afar.2012.45.1.42 by guest on 27 September 2021

af_42-49.indd 47 11/14/2011 10:38:23 AM Large-scale statuary is made as public sculpture or for sale to wealthy patrons, like the almost-life-sized cast-copper alloy fig- ures of an Oba, one of a pair that included a queen, at Omad- amwen & Sons Gallery that awaited a buyer willing to pay N600,000 ($6,000) in order to bring them home.

13 Mr. omadamwen at omadamwen & sons with an almost-life-sized cast-copper alloy figure of an oba in his gallery. photo: courtesy of JeAn bor- gAtti, 2003

48 | african arts spring 2012 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/afar.2012.45.1.42 by guest on 27 September 2021

af_42-49.indd 48 11/14/2011 10:38:25 AM Ultimately, the developments on Igun Street are the result of Notes Oba Eweka’s (1913–1933) intended commercialization of Benin First presented at the 14th Triennial Symposium on art, because the palace in exile could no longer support guild African Art. March 28–April 1, 2007, at the University of Florida, Gainesville. production. It resulted in new market opportunities for the 1 See Nevadomsky and Osemweri (2007:257) for brass-casters and a streamlining of traditional forms, as Sir Vic- an illustration including the governor of Imo State and tor Uwaifo’s interpretation of the sixteenth century Queen Idia his first lady as well as the impeached governor of Bay- demonstrates. Many of the figures by guildsmen feature a more elsa State—though unidentified either as to subject or to the workshop where they were made. classical “remembrance” form. Although Benin City’s age-long practice of casting in copper alloy hinges on one extreme—faith References cited in tradition and kingship—its projection into the future hinges Nevadomsky, Joseph, and Agbonifo Osemweri. 2007. on the other extreme—newer forms of government and a chang- “Benin Art in the Twentieth Century.” In Benin Kings ing economy. and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria, ed. Barbara Plankensteiner, pp. 255–62. Vienna: Museum fur John Ogene is a senior lecturer of art and art history in the Department of Volkerkunde. Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin, Benin City. [email protected] Interviews Emuze. Personal interview, May 31, 2006. Ewere, A., David. Personal interview, February 17, 2007. Ineh, Emmanuel. Personal interview, February 16, 2007. Otote, Mama, Isoken. Personal interview, February 17, 2007.

14 Queen idia head interpreted by sir Victor uwaifo. cast copper alloy. prior to 2006.

spring 2012 african arts | 49 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/afar.2012.45.1.42 by guest on 27 September 2021

af_42-49.indd 49 11/14/2011 10:38:37 AM