Depiction of a Ceremonial Procession | Yale University Art Gallery

20th century

Fon brass tableaux were originally made exclusively for the court of the divine ruler of the kingdom. In recent years, artists have developed new forms such as the one seen here and made them available to a wider clientele. This tableau depicts a royal procession with retainers carrying umbrellas, stools, trumpets and drums. At the center is a mounted figure of a king, possibly King Wegbaja (1645–85) whose symbol, the fish, is depicted on the scepter carried by an attendant near the front and to the left in the procession.

Medium: Brass
Dimensions: 10 1/2 × 19 × 10 in. (26.67 × 48.26 × 25.4 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Jay M. Haft, B.A. 1956, J.D. 1959
Accession Number: 1981.57
Geography: Republic of Benin
Culture: Fon
Period: 20th century
Classification: Sculpture
Disclaimer: Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

Gift of Jay M. Haft to Yale University Art Gallery, 1981

Object copyright

Additional information

Object/Work type

ceremonial objects, human figures (visual works)

Subject

flags parasols processions

Technical metadata and APIs

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