The three men on this bronze plaque, part of a set of more than 800 that once decorated the pillars in the audience hall of the Oba, or king, of Benin, are wearing leopard-tooth necklaces and warrior's bells tied around their chests. The bells suspended from their waists would make a fearsome noise on the battlefield. As protection against arrows and sword thrusts, each wears a leather jerkin decorated with a leopard's face, The leopard motif ties the warriors to the Oba, who was often metaphorically compared to a leopard. The two men on the left are wearing crowns with protruding feathers. One holds a circular box, called an ekpokin, that was used to bring tribute payments to the Oba or gifts from the Oba to his courtiers. These men, with the crowns, are of lower rank than the figure on the right wearing a helmet. The figure on the right is wearing a much more elaborate necklace of coral beads, called an odigba, a gift from the Oba to high-ranking courtiers.

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