The Benin plaque with oba is associated with which ethnic group and what is its approximate date?

The Benin plaque with oba is associated with which ethnic group and what is its approximate date?

• A. Edo ethnic group, 16th-17th century
• B. Yoruba, 18th century
• C. Benin people, 19th century
• D. Igbo, 15th century

Answer: (A)

The plaques come from the Benin Kingdom tradition created by the Edo people in what is now southern Nigeria. They typically depict the oba, the king, with attendants and scenes from court life, and were produced during the height of the Benin Empire in the 16th to 17th centuries. That combination—Edo (Benin) makers and a dating around the 16th–17th centuries—best fits the well-known Benin plaque with the oba. The Yoruba and Igbo are different groups with their own distinct art histories, and the other date ranges don’t align with the era most closely associated with these Benin bronzes.

The plaques come from the Benin Kingdom tradition created by the Edo people in what is now southern Nigeria. They typically depict the oba, the king, with attendants and scenes from court life, and were produced during the height of the Benin Empire in the 16th to 17th centuries. That combination—Edo (Benin) makers and a dating around the 16th–17th centuries—best fits the well-known Benin plaque with the oba. The Yoruba and Igbo are different groups with their own distinct art histories, and the other date ranges don’t align with the era most closely associated with these Benin bronzes.