Not currently on display at the V&A

XII. Face to Face

Print
1984 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In 1897, following a series of frustrated attempts to end a monopoly on palm oil and various other commodities held by the Oba (king) of Benin, the British led a punitive raid on Benin City. Justification for this brutal event was sought, in the British press, by depicting the Oba and his people as ‘savages’ who practised human sacrifice. However, the elaborately carved ivories and cast brass plaques and sculpture seized from the royal court, and dispersed to British museum collections, were evidence of a sophisticated and technologically-advanced society.

This unsavoury aspect of British history was reflected on by artist Tony Phillips in a 1984 series of etchings, History of the Benin Bronzes. In the series, Phillips adopts the unusual technique of reusing a printing plate to create a second image, with elements of the first image still visible. Thus, in this image, the last in the suite of twelve plates, we revisit a mask worn by one of the odudua dancers (scene five, E.52-1987) to find it encased in glass and spot lit in a gallery. The schematic way in which the gallery environment is depicted emphasises the means by which the mask has been forcibly removed from its original context.

Delve deeper

Discover more about this object
interact Tony Phillips on the History of the Benin Bronzes I-XII Artist Tony Phillips was born in Liverpool in 1952. His work often takes the form of a series, exploring his subjects with multiple, interlinked images. In 1984 he created a group of prints that considers the history of the 'Benin Bronzes', and their forcible removal from Benin City by the...

Object details

Category
Object type
Titles
  • XII. Face to Face (assigned by artist)
  • History of the Benin Bronzes (series title)
Materials and techniques
Etching, printed in blue
Brief description
'Face to Face', etching from the series 'History of the Benin Bronzes', Tony Phillips, 1984
Physical description
Etching depicting a mask worn by one of the odudua dancers (scene five, E.52-1987), now encased in glass and spot lit in a gallery.
Dimensions
  • Height: 21.6cm
  • Width: 26.7cm
Measurements: 21.6 x 26.7 cm.
Copy number
Plate XII of XII
Subjects depicted
Summary
In 1897, following a series of frustrated attempts to end a monopoly on palm oil and various other commodities held by the Oba (king) of Benin, the British led a punitive raid on Benin City. Justification for this brutal event was sought, in the British press, by depicting the Oba and his people as ‘savages’ who practised human sacrifice. However, the elaborately carved ivories and cast brass plaques and sculpture seized from the royal court, and dispersed to British museum collections, were evidence of a sophisticated and technologically-advanced society.

This unsavoury aspect of British history was reflected on by artist Tony Phillips in a 1984 series of etchings, History of the Benin Bronzes. In the series, Phillips adopts the unusual technique of reusing a printing plate to create a second image, with elements of the first image still visible. Thus, in this image, the last in the suite of twelve plates, we revisit a mask worn by one of the odudua dancers (scene five, E.52-1987) to find it encased in glass and spot lit in a gallery. The schematic way in which the gallery environment is depicted emphasises the means by which the mask has been forcibly removed from its original context.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
E.59-1987

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJuly 27, 2000
Record URL
Download as: JSON