A rare relief plate depicting a leopard. As these motifs arrived in Togo via trade routes, it is difficult to trace their exact provenance. Enquiries reveal that bronzes of this type originate from private collections. Earlier research suggests that a type of shrine, i.e. an altar, was not only used for religious purposes, but also served as a place to store family possessions.

When many bronzes entered the European market after the British military expedition in 1887 because German collectors bought them at auction, an initial boom began. The city of Benin was in political and economic crisis, and families sold many of their bronzes because good prices were being offered. Bronze casters also experienced a boom in new bronzes. A second surge took place in the 1980s and 1990s, when bronze objects fetched huge prices on the world market. The proceeds were so high that many families earned the initial capital for their children's studies in Great Britain or the USA by selling their ‘family silver’.

Today, in the 2020s, only very few bronzes are coming to Togo, and it is very difficult to distinguish originals, i.e. old bronzes, from replicas when purchasing, as excellent forgeries are being produced. Since the unspeakable restitution discussions, prices for all art from Africa have fallen sharply. In addition, the large collections of African art were run by collectors who are now dying off due to old age. Their collections are coming onto the market, where they are easier to sell than currently imported art because of their provenance. Bureaucratic hurdles such as the Cultural Property Protection Act spoil the joy of buying art for many collectors. As in many areas of the European antiques trade, young people are hardly interested anymore.

This makes it all the more gratifying that good old bronzes are still turning up and a small group of collectors remain interested. As in many other areas, the market will recover shortly. It will no longer reach the heights of the 1990s, when bronze plaques like this one were traded in six figures, but this art remains a good investment and the plaque is one of the most beautiful.