The City-state of Ife(southwest Nigeria) was for the Yoruba people of the world's heart, where the gods stopped one day. A Kingdom where 22 kings ruled (Oba Oni) considered and revered as demi-gods. What we commonly call "Ife heads" are representations of these kings and privileged members of their court (priests, queen mothers ..). On the death of a king, a representation of his head was shaped and cast in bronze (technique of lost wax).

The current Edo State corresponds to the former Kingdom of Benin, is also the name of the people of southwestern Nigeria. According to tradition, the foundation of Benin City dates back to the first royal dynasty of Benin to 900 (modern Nigeria).

The first recorded Europeans who landed in this country were the Portuguese (Joao Afonso de Aveiro in 1486).A trading post was then established which exchanged Guinea pepper, ivory, cotton textiles, red wood, rubber and oil palm for spirits, tobacco, textiles in Europe, arms and ammunitions and especially for what concerns us , metals (shackles of copper, tin and lead). Slavery was unfortunately part of this trade.

Some remarkable pieces of bronze or brass dated from the 11th to 15ththcentury (the golden age) demonstrate, before the arrival of the Portuguese style of extraordinary purity gave these representations (statues, busts, heads, plates palace) the sublime beauty and elegance of faces and characters in a world that was not under the stylistic influence of Western art including ancient Greek and Roman.

The technique of manufacturing lost wax reaches a climax this artistic rarely equalled elsewhere in the world.

The British dominated the end of 19thcentury, the Niger Coast and wanted to take control of the area to be annexed to the British Empire as a protectorate. This region was then subjected to a pressure such that the abuses took place and provoked a punitive expedition on the people who allowed the British invasion of Benin City in February 1897 and then discover to plunder the treasures of the Palais Royal Ogiso for back in England.

The auctions took place in 1900 and this heritage was lessee from individuals and museums in London, Berlin and Vienna.

Our collection began with the purchase of "bronzes" Benin and Ife Kingdom and for this reason that we borrow the name of EDO to dedicate this collection which since has brought passion, discovery, wealth and artistic initiation.