Kingdom of Dahomey

The Dahomey royal family monopolized the works of artists. The central palace showcased much of their artwork. By the late 1800s the palace included the residences of the king and his reign mate, housing for some 8,000 wives and eunuchs, the tombs of the royal ancestors, audience halls, and storehouses for the royal treasury. The palace complex covered nearly 100 acres of land and was surrounded by a massive mud wall 30 feet high and nearly 2.5 miles around. Brightly painted bas-reliefs decorated the mud walls of audience courtyards, while enormous appliquéd tents and hangings were erected for ceremonial use. Courtiers wore robes and wrappers of luxurious fabrics, and jewelry of silver and coral. The standing armies paraded in uniforms woven of strip-weave cloth decorated with appliquéd insignia. Parades and processions featured statues carved of wood, or fashioned of iron or silver.

The ceremonial cycle was enhanced by the royal chroniclers. They sang the history of the kingdom, preserving official histories even as people in the villages preserved the wisdom of the community through remembered traditions, folktales, and proverbs.