Hand washing is automatic for most of us, something we do without thinking. But if you do it to honor your ancestors—and your ancestors happen to be the past kings of Benin—it’s a pretty big deal, especially since having a king for an ancestor probably means you’re one, too. Your royal hands will require a royal jug, perhaps shaped like a leopard—an animal admired for its ferocity, intelligence, agility, and speed. Qualities you probably see in yourself.
Leopard-shaped vessels have been traced back to the king Ewuare the Great, who ruled Benin from around 1440 to 1473 CE. Legend has it that one night Ewuare fell asleep under a tree and woke to liquid dripping on his head. Looking up, he discovered a leopard perched on a branch above him, blood oozing from its jaws. Ewuare killed the leopard, and every year after sacrificed one for the good of the kingdom.
This royal artwork was created by a team of brass-casting specialists employed by the king. To cast a complex, hollow form like this as a single piece of metal requires enormous technical ability.
The leopard’s spots are smooth circles, while the rest of the surface is covered with stipples or dimples hammered in after the leopard was cast.
Water was poured into the leopard through a hole in the head. A lid originally covered the hole, but the two brackets that formed part of the hinge mechanism are all that remain.
Water poured out of the leopard through small holes in its nose.
The pupils of the leopard’s eyes are indented and colored with a reddish substance. They may originally have been painted or possibly inlaid with iron.