Statue of Soldier from Benin Empire, National Museum, Lome, Togo - soldier has various symbols in his hands and an animal skin on the wall behind him.

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Bronze carvings destined for the Royal Palace in Benin City Nigeria (16th Century), National Museum, Lome, Togo. The Benin Empire ws actually mostly in Nigeria and produced some of the most stunning bronze carvings and statues. The Kingdom of Benin's capital was Edo, now known as Benin City in Edo State, Nigeria. The Benin Kingdom was "one of the oldest and most developed states in the coastal hinterland of West Africa". It grew out of the previous Edo Kingdom of Igodomigodo around the 11th century AD, and lasted until it was annexed by the British Empire in 1897.

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Size: 2848px × 4288px
Location: Lome, Togo, West Africa
Photo credit: © Grazyna Bonati / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: africa, african, beautifullly-carved, benin, culture, empire, lome, mask, museum, national, soldier, statue, symbols, togo, tradition, traditional, west, wooden