Question

Answer the following question in 3-4 complete sentences.

Name the following example of African art and the civilization is it from. How was this figure made?
A statue of a man riding a horse.

Answer 1

This is a Benin bronze equestrian figure from the Kingdom of Benin (Edo peoples) in what is now southern Nigeria. It was made by skilled metalworkers using the lost-wax (cire-perdue) bronze-casting technique. Artisans modeled the rider and horse in wax, encased the model in clay, heated it to melt out the wax, then poured molten brass/bronze into the cavity; after cooling they broke away the mold and finished the surface. These figures often commemorate court officials, warriors, or royal events.