The Saltcellar with Portuguese Figures is a salt cellar in carved ivory, made in the Kingdom of Benin in West Africa in the 16th century, for the European market.

[1] These kinds of ivory arts were commissioned and exported initially from Sierra Leone and later Benin City, Nigeria.

The figures, in high relief form a circle around the shaft of the elephant tusk, supporting the bowl at top used to hold the salt.

Individuals are presented as the main subject in African art usually depicting an important figure like royalty or a deity, this is shown in the ivory salt cellar and other Benin Bronzes.

[7] After contact with the Portuguese the Benin Kingdom established a strong mercantile relationship with Portugal and later other European states.

They traded slaves and Beninese products such as ivory, pepper, gold and palm oil for European goods such as manillas, metals and guns.

In addition they established diplomatic relations in the late 15th century, the Oba sent an ambassador to Lisbon, and the king of Portugal sent Christian missionaries to Benin City in 1486.