And on the
other hand, as Ling Roth has said, "we are still quite in the dark as
to the existence of any such high-class art in the Iberian peninsula
at the end of the fifteenth century; and we know that there was not
much of this art in the rest of Europe."[57] The only serious
evidence, if even it might be so called, which was ever advanced as
indicating Portuguese origin for this art was the fact that on some of
the plaques from Benin there were found Portuguese heads or figures.
But this, instead of indicating a Portuguese origin, gives, when
carefully studied, reasonable evidence to the contrary.

Let us make a brief study of one of these objects. An object described
by Ling Roth[58] as the "head of the staff or wand of offices" may be
used as an illustration. The design is "that of a leopard supporting a
column on its back. The uppermost portion of this staff head consists
of a band of engraved basket work patterns with grained open ground.
This is followed by a band of fish-scale patterns ornamented at the
lower corners of contact pinched indents. On this band there is an
upper series of ornaments in relief. The upper series consists of four
faces; that on the front being probably that of a Negro and that on
the back that of a European. Both faces are boldly and clearly
executed, while the two faces on either side are of Europeans, both of
them flat and poorly executed, and in profile with the mouth curiously
twisted into the full face. The European figures on either side of
the leopard in their flatness and general crudeness are quite out of
keeping with the rest of the work. "Yet," he says, "one cannot help
admiring the boldness with which the leopard has been modelled, or the
firmness with which its claws grasp the ground; while the vigorous way
in which the tail is made to support the back of the column should be
remarked. Equally admirable are the suitable proportions of the bands
of ornament. The upper band is thoroughly subdued so that the faces
next to it are brought more prominently into relief."

It is evident that in every feature, excepting the European faces,
this object is obviously the product of a master. How, then, are we to
account for the crude and archaic appearance of the European figures?
It would seem either that it was done purposely out of disrespect for
the European or else it was the result of an unfamiliarity with the
subject on the part of the artist. If the African artist had been