Curriculum Materials: Amazing Animals in Art Image 6 African, Nigeria (Benin) 17th-19th century Leopard Theme Essays: Background About this Object Style Technique About the Artist Questions: Suggested Questions: K-3 Suggested Questions: 4-6 Suggested Questions: Grades 4-6 View Teacher's Key What kind of animal do you think this is? How can you tell? Does this look like a real leopard? What physical characteristics of a leopard are depicted to make it look NATURALISTIC? What aspects of the leopard are ABSTRACT? Does this leopard seem friendly or fierce? What about the leopard conveys friendliness? What about the leopard conveys fierceness? In Benin, the leopard was associated with the ruler, the oba. What attributes of a leopard might a ruler share? If you were a ruler, what animal would you want to be associated with? Why? This bronze leopard was used by the ruler of the Benin people as an aquamanile. What do you suppose that word means? Discuss the Aquatennial or aquatic sports, etc., and the meaning of manual labor. Can you figure out from what part of the leopard the water flowed? Why do you think the oba would have this aquamanile made for him? What is this sculpture made of? How can you tell? What does the material tell you about the kinds of technology the people of Benin had available to them? What else does the sculpture tell you about the people who made it? Introduction ~ Index of Images ~ Glossary ~ Amazing Animals Activities ~ How to Order ~ Your Comments Wanted