Reader Review:Half A Millennium Of Superb Royal Art!The Art of Benin first came onto the world stage in 1897, when the British TOOK thousands of art works which were in the Royal Palace. The Royal City of Benin was a JEWEL that was DESTROYED by the British. Many of the pieces went to London. Others were sold. For the very first time westerners saw magnificnet pieces of art executed with great technical sophistication.<P> The Perls Collection consists of 163 objects, and is considered to be the finest collection of Benin Art in the world. The art reflects the life of the OBA who is the central figure in the kingdom. He rules witth divine right and is believed to have spiritual powers. The art directly reflects this. Among the works found in this catalogue are the heads of the OBA and the Queen Mother, which are executed in both wood and brass. These heads were just some of the items placed on the royal altar. Other items were royal altar tusks which were carved with figures of Kings, Queen Mothers, Priests, warriors and other figures. There are brass figures of court attendants, foreigners & priests. One will also find Altar Tableaus which consists of symmetrical, standing figures. Other objects placed on the Royal Altars were brass bells & rattle-staffs. Another symbol of the court is the brass rooster, which commemorate the Queen Mothers of Benin, ivory containers, And ivory trumpets. At the end of the book is an excellent chapter on the art of the Yoruba Kindoms which were greatly influenced by the Benin court.<P> I am pleased that this great collection is housed in my home town of New York City, and that the Metropolitan Museum of Art has produced this excellent catalogue! (Rating: 5)