ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to examine the aesthetic significance of Idia Sculptural artform in Benin ontology, this is to ascertain what influences aesthetic appreciation in the artform among the Benin people. The objective of this work is to examine the socio-cultural significance of Idia Sculptural artform as an aesthetic and communicative feature in Benin ontology. This work examined the relation between objects of aesthetic appreciation through the social meaning of Idia sculptural artform. Idia sculptural artform is a tangible symbol of beauty understood as morally mediated underscores the importance of personal success and achievement. The subject of aesthetic appreciation in Benin worldview is relative as their object of appreciation takes its root in what Placide Tempels called vital forces, the ontological structure which permeates everything.
This study adopted the conceptual-analytical and reconstructive tools in the field of philosophy. The conceptual-analytical was used to clarify and assess salient and fundamental concepts in the study, namely aesthetics, beauty, ontology, metaphysics and African ontology, among others, while the reconstructive method was employed to recreate and re-enact the ideas of ontological and sculptural symbolism in order to evolve an interpretation of Queen Idia sculptural artform, which is not only human-centred but sensitive to African cultural realities especially the Benin-ontological narratives.
The study found out that Idia sculptural artform is a symbol that constitute the insignia of cultural and aesthetic epitome of cherished Benin values since what the Benin’s considers as beautiful include more in the life of the person than events and scenes, as such; appreciating the works of art is based on functionality and purposefulness to the people. Further findings were that the relationship between the aspects of the personality and work of art blended together by moral considerations of mutual self-giving, courage and care. The findings of the study is that the sculpted artform of Idia is not merely decorative, representational and formalistic, it is a celebration of fundamental moral categories in African humanism, hardwork, honesty, loyalty and truthfulness and it relates to the historical fact of the people.
