Art, History & Culture

Guillaume Apollinaire, a French writer in the late 19^th and early 20^th century, after observing historical African art from the West, noted that, “the black artist was evidently creative” (Kelly, 2015). During a time in which art outside of Western civilization was often overlooked and undervalued, Guillaume’s bold statement spoke volumes of the inspiration found in historical Beninese artwork.

Much of the artwork from historical Benin, formerly Dahomey, is a direct correlation to their expression of spirituality, especially during life’s celebratory and monumental moments, including death. Edna Bay writes of the, “asen, the portable alter to the dead common in twentieth century southern Dahomey/Benin” (Bay, 2007). Each asen, or alter, was crafted differently, dedicated by the family to its deceased member(s), a memorial in a sense, as a way to remain connected to their ancestry.

An example of an 'asen'

Other art comes from the time of the infamous Atlantic Slave Trade and the overthrow of their nation’s king by the French, eras of intense oppression, when the people of Benin, spoke not in words but through art to reiterate their position against the Europeans. They used their voices in a way they knew how, through telling stories of their culture and their spirituality using different forms of art. One of the most noteworthy pieces is the sculpture dedicated to Dieu Gou, the god of iron and warfare, an early spiritual depiction of Vodun (voodoo), which, according to Bay, “was made for funeral ceremonies for King Gezo in 1860 (Bay, 2007).

Statue de Dieu Gou

This statue was unique during the 1800’s, but few were able to appreciate its magnitude during that time due to racism. In fact, on the front cover of the Le Petit Journal on November 26, 1892, an illustration, “showed French troops confronting and ridiculing…’The God of War’, as part of the campaign led by General Alfredi-Amdédée Dodds” (Kelly, 2015). The French were clearly mocking the African nation’s power, belittling their cultural diversity and creativity.

Today, however, that depreciation has been replaced with honor, remembrance and dignity, as these same art pieces can be found in historical museums across the globe, preserving these stories by keeping the art alive.

Bay, E. G. (2007). African Arts. Ceramic Arts in Africa,40(1), 6-8. Retrieved February 2,

            2018, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20447805

Kelly, J. (2015). “Dahomey!, Dahomey!”: the reception of Dahomean art in France in

            the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Journal of Art Historiography.

            Retrieved February 2, 2018, from

            https://doaj.org/article/a97f243ffd6648d2b746b1688b1469df.