Late one afternoon, the Crown Prince of Benin, his uncle, an anthropology professor named Flora S. Kaplan, some men who are associated in one way or another with the Royal Court of Benin, some American men who are associated in one way or another with foundation endowments and grants, a still photographer, and a motion-picture photographer went to the Grey Art Gallery at New York University to see an exhibit of art objects from the Royal Court of Benin. The art objects, which are extremely beautiful, are now owned by people none of whom are African.
(Information, taken mostly from the press release that came in the mail: Benin today is the capital of Bendel State, in the Federal Republic of Nigeria; it is a city reposing in a high tropical rain forest eighty miles west of the Niger River. In precolonial times, Benin was the political and cultural center of a vast kingdom known as Benin, which flourished from the thirteenth century until the British Punitive Expedition of
1897; the present Benin is to be distinguished from the People’s Republic of Benin, which used to be called Dahomey, and which borders Nigeria on the west. The Benin monarchy has continued in an unbroken line of descent for over five hundred and fifty years, and a new Oba, or Divine King, was installed in 1979. Many of Benin’s historical rituals are still observed.)
The visit went something like this: Dr. Kaplan, who was responsible for the exhibit in the first place and so was officiating more as a hostess than as an anthropology professor, gathered around her the Crown Prince, his uncle, the men of the Benin court, and the men of the endowments and grants, so that they could all have their picture taken. Dr. Kaplan, who seemed notably energetic and notably eager, said to the Crown Prince, “There has never been a museum exhibition of this kind in New York, but I wanted to make people in this country aware of the culture and history of Benin. Many people in this country don’t have a sense of geography or history. To us, history is two years old. Since Nigeria is so important to us, since Africa is so important to us, I really felt we should make this contribution.”
The Crown Prince, who had said that he was a graduate of the University of Wales, and that he was in the United States to acquire knowledge and to broaden his horizon, nodded vigorously at Dr. Kaplan.
The Crown Prince then walked around the room. He said that as a boy he was always being reminded of who he was, that he was never allowed to go about alone, that he was
never allowed to eat food outside his home or food that his family had not prepared for him, and that he was always being told whom to see and whom not to see. Everyone listened to him as he talked.
Then one of the endowments-and-grants men asked, “What is the distance from Benin to Lagos?”
“Seven hours’ drive,” the Crown Prince answered.
“What direction?” the same man asked.
“West,” the Crown Prince answered.
“I am trying to place in my own mind the Kingdom of Benin in Nigerian life,” said the man.
“Benin existed before Nigeria,” said the Crown Prince.
“It’s a hairline, isn’t it—a delicate balance between the old and the new?” said the man.
“Yes,” said the Crown Prince.
Dr. Kaplan, who had left the Crown Prince and the other men for a moment, now rejoined them. She looked around her, then turned to the Crown Prince, smiled, and said, “It must be an interesting feeling to come in here and see so much of home.”
“Ha, ha, ha, yes,” laughed and said the Crown Prince.
—April 20, 1981