firm G. L. Gaiser. Fischer had visited Mahin several times in order to establish trading relationships and represent German interests.36 The piece remained in the Fischer family until it went to auction at Sotheby’s, London, in December 1971. A work by Benin artists, it has been proposed 88 that it represents a defeated leader or “trophy head,” possibly a king of Mahin, conquered in the late sixteenth century by Oba Orhogbua’s army. It may have been sent to Ugbo-Mahin as a constant reminder of Benin’s superiority. The symbolism of a small group of Benin commemorative heads carrying long-necked gourd-shaped vessels seems complex, but clearly indicates that the depicted are subjugated rulers. In a recent discussion of these heads, Kathy Curnow observes that “although he the ruler carries a load—a mark of labor and an insult to the head’s sanctity—the carrier pad itself demonstrates his rank, for it is a beaded circlet.”37 A SAPI AFRO-PORTUGUESE SALTCELLAR A last work highlighted in this brief overview is not from Benin, but rather a Sapi Afro-Portuguese ivory saltcellar dating to the late fifteenth/early sixteenth century (fig. 15). It was once in the possession of Charles Ratton, the famous collector and dealer in Paris, and later sold by John Julius Klejman, owner of the J. J. Klejman Gallery in New York. When the Portuguese arrived on the West African coast in the late fifteenth century, artists from today’s Sierra Leone and Guinea soon began to produce exquisite works in ivory such as spoons, powder horns, and saltcellars for their new foreign clients. These combined African and European forms and designs to suit their patrons’ tastes. In this work, which is carved from one piece of ivory, crocodiles grace an openwork stand supporting a gourd-shaped vessel used to hold salt. Susan Vogel featured it prominently in her introduction to the seminal 1988 catalog Africa and the Renaissance: Art in Ivory, even though its size and whereabouts were unknown at the time. She describes the spherical vessel part as an excellent example of the way in which these ivories not only integrate foreign motifs but also echo African forms, in this case pots, gourds, and wooden vessels with rounded bottoms.38 Now back in the public eye, these and other significant works can be studied up close. Among the gallery’s features is an interactive touch screen that allows visitors to explore the complex iconography of several of the pieces and uncovers the meanings of their motifs. The Robert Owen Lehman Collection will be enjoyed by the many art lovers who make the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, their destination. This brief introduction to the Benin Kingdom Gallery and the Robert Owen Lehman Collection reflects the teamwork of many staff members at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, among them most notably Victoria Reed, Monica S. Sadler Curator for Provenance, who researched the history of the pieces. My thanks also go to Barbara Martin, Alfond Curator of Education, Adam Tessier, and Karen Frascona for their advice. Throughout the research in preparation for the gallery, I consulted with colleagues who shared insights and made suggestions, most notably Paula D. Girshick, Hermione Waterfield, Barbara W. Blackmun, Kathryn Gunsch, Barbara Plankensteiner, Kathleen Berzock, Joseph Nevadomsky, and Alison Petch. I thank them all. FIG. 14: Commemorative head of a defeated leader. Edo peoples, Benin kingdom, Nigeria. 16th century. Copper alloy, iron. H: 50.8 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Robert Owen Lehman Collection. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. FIG. 15 (facing page): Saltcellar (lid missing). Sapi peoples, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Late 15th– early 16th century. Ivory. H: 15.2 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Robert Owen Lehman Collection. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
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