Pair of Mid-20th Century Bronze Benin Nigeria Leopards

This pair of circa 1960s bronze figural leopards were made in the sand casting method and style of the ancient Benin (modern-day Nigeria) bronze sculptures. The original Benin bronzes were created in the thirteenth century by the Edo people in what is now modern-day Nigeria. Those pieces decorated the Benin royal palace and are considered the best known works of Benin art.