Famous works of lost-wax casting from Africa are known as what?

• A. Oculus
• B. Benin Bronzes
• C. Rotunda
• D. Cristallo

Answer: (B)

Lost-wax casting in Africa produced a celebrated body of works known as the Benin Bronzes. These are brass and copper-alloy plaques, statues, and panels from the Benin Kingdom in what is now Nigeria, created for the Oba’s court from roughly the medieval period into the 19th century. The cire perdue technique allowed artisans to make highly detailed, hollow pieces with narrative reliefs that depict palace ceremonies, leaders, and mythic scenes, reflecting sophisticated metalworking and social organization. The name “Bronzes” refers to the metal family used, and the collection is famous in art history as a prime example of West African bronze-casting. The other terms don’t refer to this group at all; they’re unrelated architectural or general words.