The statue in this picture is a bronze Benin statue. These statues have been around in my house ever since I was a baby. The Benin bronze statues date back to the 19th century and are a representation of the Kingdom of Benin, in Nigeria. The pieces are mostly made of brass and bronze but there are also some that are made from wood and ceramic. The sculptures would make the statues to resemble members of the royal family. This image of this statue represents my Nigerian culture. I identify collectively with being a Nigerian American. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria and lived in Benin where these types of statues were made and displayed in the Benin Palace. We moved to the states when I was still young so I am Americanized and have integrated some values and beliefs from both cultures.
This image is very interesting as it shows members of the royal family and one of the ways their legacy moves on by making these statues. People will point to these statues and ask what they are and every time someone explains what they are, their history is being carried on. I can relate because I have also become more Americanized since living in this country for so long but I still like to retain some of my customs.
I moved here when I was around 6 years old so have lived here most of my life but I have definitely not forgotten my culture. Similar to the statue in your post, I remember seeing Indian art throughout my house as well. Because I have lived here most of my life and it’s not very often that I get to visit India, it’s nice to see a little of bit of India in my house.
I really like this sculpture! it reminds my of the sculptures and African art that my family has around our house. In our house, we have west African and Haitian paintings, sculptures and hand painted masks, We also have a collection of sculpted animals that only live in sub-Saharan Africa. Our house is basically a tribute to our ancestry and culture. Culture is very important to my family. We embrace every part of our Haitian culture but we also make sure to acknowledged our west African descent. My ancestors are the West-African people that were taken by the French to be slaves in Haiti. Our language and culture is made up language aspects from West Africa, French influences, and the influences of the aboriginal people from the island of Haiti.
Growing up as a kid back home in Ghana, these sculptures used to scare me whether it being in a wooden or ceramic form. The sculptures were mostly portrayed as evil or an image containing some sort of bad spirit. Never knew these sculptures also represented members of the royal family. All this while, I had a negative vibe with it. I am glad to learn something new pertaining to this art.
Its very nice. My family has a few totems similar this kept around the house. We keep them to remember and honor our African heritage. When i was young my dad had someone come out and teach us about different kinds of statues and totems. I’ve always found this art beautiful and intriguing thanks for sharing this.