Between 700 and 900 CE; the Ife Kingdom developed as a major artistic center. The city was a settlement of substantial size between the 9th and 12th centuries; with houses featuring potsherd pavements. Ife is known worldwide for its ancient and naturalistic bronze; stone and terracotta sculptures; which reached their peak of artistic expression between 1200 and 1400 A.D. After this period; production declined as political and economic power shifted to the nearby kingdom of Benin which; like the Yoruba kingdom of Oyo; developed into a major empire. Bronze and terracotta art created by this civilization and significant examples of realism in early African art.