Benin Kingdom Tribal African Cast Bronze Plaque

Vintage African Benin Kingdom wall plaque. This heavy cast bronze wall plaque depicts a scene from the Benin palace adornments which were removed in the late 19th century by the invading British punitive forces. The piece is composed of 4 warriors, all holding weapons, each have helmets on. The warrior to the furthest left carries a shield and they all appear to have gold leaf adornments throughout. This was obtained in the 1950's by the previous owners most likely as a recasting as it appears to be sand cast but it was believed to be cast in the 1920's or shortly thereafter. The most sought after Benin bronzes were cast using the lost wax technique which produces a much smoother result. Benin was a prominent kingdom in Nigeria which prevailed from the late 14th to late 19th century. There are holes for wall attachment at top which reveal its internal color of the raw metal which is most likely brass. While the collection is known as the Benin Bronzes, like most West African "bronzes"