BENIN ROYAL TRIAD PENDANT NIGERIA 16th?–17th? century Bronze H.: 19 cm (7½ in.) A Benin royal triad pendant, Nigeria Provenance: Christie’s, London, Important Tribal Art, 30 November 1994, lot no. 115 Collection of Jean-Jacques Rotthier (1932–2009), Brussels, then by inheritance  Bibliography: Schaedler (Karl-Ferdinand), *Earth and Ore: 2,500 Years of African Art in Terra-cotta and Metal*, Munich, 1997, p. 225 These ‘U’-shaped pendants were formerly worn on the belt, usually in sets of three, by the Oba as well as by certain high-ranking court officials. This iconography is also known from examples carved in ivory. Of the five specimens currently recorded, the one held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is considered the most complete and the finest (see Barbara Plankensteiner (ed.), Benin: Five Centuries of Royal Art, Paris, Musée du quai Branly, 2007, p. 393, cat. 168). Crafted from ivory or brass, these pendants feature the ‘supporting triad’ motif, a visual expression of the Edo ideal of kingship. At the centre stands the Oba, identifiable by the large royal bead adorning his chest—a symbol of the legitimacy of his power—placed at the junction of two rows of coral beads. However, even the most powerful of Benin’s sovereigns could not reign alone. His authority rests on a delicate balance between the exercise of his power and his subjects’ acceptance of his supremacy. This indispensable support from Edo society is embodied by the two dignitaries flanking the Oba. A BENIN ROYAL TRIAD PENDANT NIGERIA 16th–17th century Bronze H.: 7½ in. Provenance: Christie’s, London, Important Tribal Art, 30 November 1994, lot 115  Jean-Jacques Rotthier Collection (1932–2009), Brussels, then by descent Bibliography: Schaedler (Karl-Ferdinand), *Earth and Ore: 2,500 Years of African Art in Terra-cotta and Metal*, Munich, 1997, p. 225 U-shaped pendants were formerly worn at the waist, typically in sets of three, by the Oba and certain high-ranking court officials. This iconography is also known from examples carved in ivory. Of the five recorded examples, the pendant held by the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, is generally regarded as the most complete and accomplished (see Barbara Plankensteiner, ed., Benin: Five Centuries of Royal Art, Paris, Musée du quai Branly, 2007, p. 393, cat. 168). Made from either ivory or brass, these pendants depict the motif of the ‘supporting triad’, a visual expression of the Edo ideal of kingship. At the centre stands the Oba, identifiable by the large royal bead displayed across his chest at the junction of two strands of coral beads, a powerful symbol of the legitimacy of his authority. Yet even the most powerful ruler of Benin could not govern alone. His authority depended upon a delicate balance between the exercise of royal power and the consent of his Edo subjects. This indispensable support of the Edo polity is embodied by the two officials who flank the Oba.