| Location: |
Southern Bénin, Togo |
| Population: |
n/a |
| Language: |
Fon (Twi) |
| Neighboring Peoples: |
Asante, Yoruba |
| Types of Art: |
Aside from the botchio figures, much of Fon art was commissioned by the royal court.
Appliquéd cloths were used in the past as a sort of royal message board in the form of
banners and wall hangings displayed during public gatherings. This colorful art form has
gone through a metamorphosis since the 1960s, and most are now produced for the tourist
market. |
| History: |
The Fon kingdom of Dahomey, which was ruled by the kings of the Alladahonu dynasty for
over 200 hundred years, reached its political and economic peak between the early 18th and
the mid-19th centuries. After conquering numerous small coastal states, the Fon
monopolized the region's slave trade resulting in phenomenal economic gains. The income
helped to support the wealth of the King whose power was absolute. The Fon king was
defeated by the French in 1892, and in 1894 the area now known as Bénin became a colony
of France under the name of Dahomey. |
| Economy: |
The primary cash crops in this region are yams, cotton, and taro, but the Fon also
grow sorghum, sesame, millet, palms, maize, and okra among other crops for local
consumption. Although cattle are kept as a signifier of wealth, they are never milked.
Markets are held every fourth day throughout the region for the local distribution of
agricultural products and local crafts. Some hunting is done by the men, although much of
the meat is sold rather than consumed by the hunter's family. |
| Political Systems: |
The King ruled from his elaborate court in Abomey through an extensive administrative
hierarchy that was responsible for collecting taxes. Although the Queen Mother technically
outranked the King, excluding one hand-picked son who was to be heir, no other family
members were allowed to hold political office to help protect against palace intrigue.
Instead, various political offices were assigned to ministers who represented the King
throughout the state and in international matters involving Europeans. |
| Religion: |
Fon religion centers around the ancestors, whose protection and benevolence is sought
through yearly offerings. During the height of the Dahomey Empire, the royal lineage paid
annual tribute to its ancestors at a spectacular gathering known as the Annual Custom,
which culminated with the sacrifice of about a hundred slaves and war captives. This was
only exceeded by the Grand Custom, which was held after the death of a ruler. Among the
citizens of Dahomey offerings were often made to wooden statues (botchio). These statues,
which are still carved today, are used by individual families for protection and embody
the well-being of the village. The botchio are rubbed with palm oil as a prayer to the
ancestors, which results in the polished look we have come to expect in similar objects
found in museum collections. |
