Benin lost-wax castings The exquisite Benin lost-wax castings are a fine example of one of the most famous metalworking traditions in world history. One can only imagine the true splendor of the old court of Benin. The story of the famous metal castings from the ancient Kingdom of Benin and the city of Ife, produced to honor their king or "Oba," is both fascinating and sad. Known by European explorers as early as the 15th century, the remarkable skill of the brassworker's guilds of the ancient Kingdom of Benin became known throughout the civilized world, making the original heads, plaques, and full figures the earliest pieces of collected African art. The final assault to this proud and powerful kingdom occurred in 1897, when the British, in an effort to seize more control over important trade routes, routed the city of Ife and seized almost all of the existing bronze and brass masterpieces. They have resided in the British Museum ever since. The stunning recastings faithfully represent a zenith in the history of metalworking. The basic method of lost-wax casting has been widely practiced on the African continent for centuries prior to the arrival of the first Portuguese explorers along the coast in 1484. The process begins with beeswax, latex, or another material with a low melting point. After the wax object has been carved, increasingly coarse layers of clay are applied to the object and allowed to dry. The entire assemblage is fired, causing the original wax carving to melt away, leaving only a baked clay shell. Liquid metal is poured into the empty mold and left to cool and harden. Later, the clay exterior is broken open, revealing the finished metal object beneath. In direct lost-wax casting, the object produced is always unique, as the mold is necessarily destroyed as part of the casting process. West African sculptors have elaborated on this basic technique in a variety of ways. According to tradition, when the first Oba (Benin king) died his head was sent to Ife for burial, with Ife sending back a bronze head for the ancestors’ altar. Fascinated by this creation Benin royalty beseeched the Ife king to send an artist who could teach the art of bronze work to Benin craftsmen.