Product Description
Benin King Oba bronze standing figure, Nigeria, 20th Century
Benin King Oba bronze standing figure, Nigeria, 20th Century
Lost wax cast bronze with a rich brown and black patina with light desert sand patina in some of the recessed areas.
The art of Benin is the product of an urban royal court, and is meant to symbolize and to extol the power, mystique, grandeur, continuity, and endurance of the ruling dynasty and its governing institutions. From the 14th century until its fall in 1897, Benin was ruled by the Oba, a divine ruler at the head of the political system of titled chiefs. Under royal support, a number of craftsman's guilds produced bronze, brass, and wood sculptures and embroidered cloth, all of which have become prized by museums and collectors.
H: 20″ x W: 7 1/2″ x D: 7 1/2″
Benin King Oba bronze standing figure, Nigeria, 20th Century
JUST ANDERSEN (1884-1943) Denmark
Grand vase c. 1935-40
Rich deep brown patinated bronze, neck with three sets of four incised lines, with flaring rim and gilt edge
Marks: DENMARK, JUST (in a triangular cartouche), No. B 2055
For more information see: “Just Andersen: Manden og Vaerket” by Svend Rindholt in Samleren: Tidskrift for Kunst og Kunstindustri (Attende Aargang, 1941) pp. 171-194; Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. Første Bind (Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1979) p. 199. The Design Encyclopedia. Mel Byars (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994) p. 23.
H: 13 1/2″ x Dia: 8″
Designer Just Andersen trained with Peter Hertz and Mogens Ballin, the premier silversmith in Copenhagen. He was also employed as a designer for Georg Jensen before he decided to open his own silver and metal studio in 1918. The elegant, simple forms and richly-patinated surfaces are highly characteristic of Andersen’s high level of design and superlative craftsmanship.