Object Number
AP 1970.04
Institution
Kimbell Art Museum
Edo designations
English designations
King Figure
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Location
Kimbell Art Museum, 3333 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76107
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Iconographies

6 annotations
Colar Bead
Odigba
Coral beaded collar

Odigba (coral-beaded collar) is a rigid neck collar made of coral beads, worn as part of ceremonial attire only by senior princes who have been made Enigie (Inneh 2007, p. 107). Although Ibafe (2007, p. 43) argued that the Odigba was introduced during the Ogiso period (c. 900–c. 1170 AD) by Ogiso Ere, along with other symbolically important Emwin Arhe, such as the Ada (ceremonial sword) and the Ẹbẹn (ceremonial sword), this seems unlikely, as coral was only introduced in the late 15th century through trade with Portuguese merchants.

1 annotation
Odigba
Ititi ako
Star beads

The Ititi ako is a cluster of coral beads, usually three or four, attached to a pin and used to embellish the royal crowns on Uhunmwu-Elao (commemorative heads) and Uhunmwu-Ẹkuẹ (pendant masks). These bead clusters are also known as star beads, which indicate the prosperous destiny of an individual or wearer. Apart from enhancing the appearance of the wearer, they also represent the individual’s high social status. Judging from their presence on a variety of head sculptures, both men and women wore Ititi ako.

1 annotation
Ititi ako
Udahae
Beaded forehead band

The Udahae is a forehead band made from coral beads and worn by chiefs. Sometimes a white Igan (feather) from the Oɛɣohɔ (vulturine fish eagle) is tucked into the left side of the Udahae. According to Benin oral tradition, the Udahae was introduced by Ọba Ezoti, the first son of Ọba Ewuare I. During his coronation, Ezoti was shot in the forehead with a poisoned arrow. To stop the bleeding, a band of red beads was wrapped around his forehead while he made public appearances. Fourteen days later, he died from his wound. Since then, Benin chiefs have worn the red-beaded Udahae around their foreheads to commemorate the cap used by Ezoti to stop the bleeding (Egharevba 1968, p. 21).

1 annotation
Udahae
Ise vbe eigho
Proclamation Staff

The Isẹ vbe ẹigho is a type of proclamation staff held by the Ọba during the two main annual ceremonies in the Edo calendar: Igue and Ugie Erha Ọba. Its form resembles that of the Ẹgogo (gong), but it has a longer handle and a distinctive horizontal cross at the base of the V-shaped upper section. In depictions on Emwin Arre (royal treasures), the Ọba alone carries the Isẹ vbe ẹigho, usually in his left hand, while holding the Ebẹn (ceremonial sword) in his right. Such representations appear on carved wooden Agba (ceremonial stools), Aken'ni Elao (carved ivory tusks), and cast-brass representations of the Ọba.

The staff is emblematic of the Ọba’s power and authority (Ben-Amos Girschick 2007, p. 158; ). Together with the coral-beaded regalia worn during these ceremonies, the Isẹ vbe ẹigho is understood to confer upon the Ọba the power to swear oaths and pronounce curses.

1 annotation
Ise vbe eigho
Ẹbẹn
Ceremonial Sword

Ẹbẹn are a type of ceremonial sword of significant importance in the Benin Kingdom. During ceremonies, titled chiefs would hold them or toss them during dances, thereby paying homage to the Ọba at these public events, particularly when a chief receives a certain status. It is forbidden for Ẹbẹn to touch the ground, so the chief must take extra precautions to avoid dropping the Ẹbẹn during the dance. Therefore, the Okae-Odionmwan (head of executioners) dances with the Umozo (warfare or executioner’s sword) behind the dancing chief.

There are two central ceremonial swords used in the royal court of the Benin Kingdom, one of which is the Ẹbẹn, along with the Ada (ceremonial swords). They are distinguished by their blades: the Ẹbẹn blade reflects the shape of a leaf or an oar. Sometimes, it is decorated with openwork designs and/or brass inlays, most commonly shaped as small Ẹbẹn and Ẹkpẹn (leopards). The handle of the Ẹbẹn also has an unusual ring-shaped form, which further differentiates it from the Ada.

1 annotation
Ẹbẹn
Ikharo
Forehead markings

Ikharo are linear keloid markings depicted on the forehead of Uhunmwu-Elao (commemorative heads) in groups of three or four above each eye. The exact meaning of Ikharo is debated; some have argued that they relate to the gender or tribal identification of the person on whom they are depicted. For example, has argued that they were worn only by men; however, their use in depictions is not consistent with this, and the Iy’Ọba are also shown wearing them. argued that they are instead a stylistic feature employed by artists that varied over time.

The naming of these markings differs between publications. For example, describe these markings as “agbaguda n'ehae”, which they write translates literally as “blades of the forehead”. However, later went on to call these “ikharo”, as used here. referred to these forehead markings as ikharo, meaning “tribal mark [of eye]”.

1 annotation
Ikharo

Provenance

6 events
Production
unknown to February 22, 1897 (day approximate)
The object was produced by Unknown member(s) of the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn guild in Benin City.
Looted
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to June 1899 (year approximate)
The object was looted by Unknown member of the British colonial military campaign on Benin - February 1897 from Benin Kingdom.
Unknown
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to December 31, 1897
The object is known to have come into contact with the World Museum, National Museums Liverpool, later in Liverpool.
Unknown
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to 1900
The object is known to have come into contact with Augustus Henry Pitt-Rivers (Lane Fox) and Farnham Pitt-Rivers Museum, in Liverpool and later Farnham.
Purchase
1960s to 1970
The object was purchased by Inc. Ben Heller with its destination in New York City.
Purchase
1970
The object was purchased by the Kimbell Art Museum from Inc. Ben Heller from New York City to Fort Worth.

Related archival documents

1 documents
See all
Museum Catalogue
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin
Die Altertümer von Benin
Date
January 1, 1919 at 12:00:00 AM

Institution data

Kimbell Art Museum
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2021-09-01
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
Object Number
object id
AP 1970.04
Department
department and institution
African
Classification
object type
Sculpture
Accession Method
accession method
Purchase
Accession Date
accession date
1970-02-19
Object Status
accession method
Accessioned Object
Constituent
production place
African
Constituent
department and institution
Kimbell Art Museum
Title
designation
Standing Oba
Object Name
object type
Bronze or brass sculpture
Dated
date made
late 18th century
Medium
material
Bronze (or brass)
Dimensions
dimensions
22 5/8 x 7 1/8 x 7 3/4 in. (57.4 x 18.1 x 19.7 cm) height dimension shown is figure. Height from bottom of the tang to the top of the figure is 29 ¾ in. Length of the tang 7 ¼”
Country/Culture
ethnic attribution
Edo
Label Text
description
Benin City is the center of an ancient culture that has flourished for centuries in southern Nigeria. From the early seventeenth century there are accounts by Europeans of the extensive architectural use of cast metal (actually brass) relief panels and other objects. The king, known as the Oba, is the central figure in the Benin kingdom and a frequent subject of Benin royal artwork. The Oba’s ancestors were gods, and it is believed that he controls the forces that affect the well-being of the entire kingdom. The Kimbell sculpture portrays an Oba dressed in full ceremonial regalia. The beads that made up his chest covering, his high neckpiece, and the net-form headdress were actually made of coral. The gong-shaped proclamation staff in his left hand was made either of brass or ivory, while the ceremonial sword in his right hand was of brass. The Oba danced with a sword to honor his ancestors. In this work, his power is emphasized by the representation of six small swords in relief on the blade of the ceremonial sword, and by the alternating images of a sword and stylized heads of Portuguese soldiers on the Oba’s kilt. As the Portuguese arrived in Benin by sea, the inclusion of Portuguese heads in the regalia of the Oba also symbolized the wealth he gained through foreign trade and his affiliation with Olokun, god of the sea.
Provenance with footnotes
provenance
Probably commissioned by a member of the court of Benin in the late 18th century; taken from the Royal Palace, Benin City, during the British military occupation (punitive ) of Benin, 1897;[1] acquired by the Liverpool Museum, England, 1897; purchased by Lt. General Lt.-General Augustus Henry Pitt-Rivers (1827-1900) by 1900 and kept at the Pitt-Rivers Museum, Farnham, Dorset, England, until the 1960s;[2] passed by descent within the family and sold upon the dispersal of the collection; purchased by (Ben Heller, Inc., New York) by 1970; purchased by Kimbell Art Foundation, Fort Worth, 1970. [1] The Kimbell’s Standing Oba was part of the loot forcibly removed from Benin City by the British punitive in 1897 (see Bulletin of Liverpool Museums, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 49 and 59); AP 1970.04 is included among the ""spoils"" of the punitive sent by Her Majesty’s Government, under Admiral Rawson. It is not confirmed that this was a purchase, since the Benin artworks are said to have been ""acquired"" or ""secured,"" nor is the agent specified. The Liverpool Museum acquired four similar standing bronze Obas; the Kimbell bronze is register number 7.10.97.1, the smallest of the four (7.10.97.1-4) and described in most detail pp. 59-65, illustrated p. 60, Fig. 10, from the front, side and rear. [2] Lt. General A. H. Pitt Rivers, Antique Works of Art from Benin (London, 1900), reprinted by Hacker Art Books, New York, 1968, p. 62, states that the Kimbell’s Oba was obtained from the Liverpool Museum; AP 1970.04 is described and illustrated plate XXI, figs 232-234. The Benin works of art are catalogued as in General Pitt Rivers’ Museum at Farnham, Dorset, at this date (1900), p. iii. The General Pitt Rivers Museum was the private collection of Lt. General A. H. Pitt Rivers. The foundation in 1884 of the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, depended ""upon the donation of the collection amassed before 1884 by Lieutenant-General Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers"" as well as other collections for which see http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/sma/index.php/articles/article-index/436-prehistory-of-the-pitt-rivers-museum.html. According to the provenance notes of certain Benin objects in the Boston Museum of Art, ""The collection of the privately-owned Pitt-Rivers Museum passed by descent through Augustus Henry Pitt-Rivers’ son Alexander Lane Fox Pitt-Rivers to his grandson, Captain George Pitt-Rivers (1890-1966) and his common law wife, Stella Howson-Clive (Pitt-Rivers). The museum closed in the 1960s and the collection was sold."" https://collections.mfa.org/objects/558361 and https://collections.mfa.org/objects/558340.
Bibliography
bibliography
Henry O. Forbes, "" On a Collection of Cast-Metal Work of High Artistic Value, from Benin, Lately Acquired for the Mayer Museum,"" Bulletin of the Liverpool Museums Under the City Council (1898): pp. 59–65, illus. fig. 10. ; Lt. Gen. A. H. Pitt Rivers, Antique Works of Art from Benin, 2nd ed. (New York, 1968), p. 62, illus. nos. 232–34, pl. 31. [1968].; Kimbell Art Museum, Kimbell Art Museum: Catalogue of the Collection 1972 (Fort Worth, 1972), pp. 310–312, illus. [1972].; Kimbell Art Museum, African Art: Recent Acquisitions, gallery brochure (May 1979), illus. [1979 May gallery brochure].; Paula Ben-Amos, The Art of Benin (London, 1980), pp. 66, 68, illus. no. 70, p. 66. [1980]; Kimbell Art Museum, Kimbell Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection (Fort Worth, 1981), p. 246, illus. [1981].; Kimbell Art Museum, In Pursuit of Quality: The Kimbell Art Museum (Fort Worth, 1987), p. 296, illus. [1987].; James W. Davidson and Mark H. Lytle, The United States: A History of the Republic (Englewood Cliffs, 1990), illus. p. 21. [1990].; Timothy Potts, ed., Kimbell Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection, (Fort Worth: Kimbell Art Museum, 2003), p. 258, illus. p. 258. [2003].; Wendy P. Gottlieb and Lindsay Elston Askins, eds. Kimbell Art Museum Calendar (Fort Worth: Kimbell Art Museum, September 2004-January 2005), p. 13. [2004/2005].; Eric M. Lee, George T. M. Shackelford, Jennifer Casler Price, Nancy E. Edwards, eds. Kimbell Art Museum: Masterworks from the Collection, (Fort Worth: Kimbell Art Museum, 2020), p. 324. [2020].
Exhibition History
exhibition history
None known
Country
production place
Africa, Nigeria, Kingdom of Benin, Benin City
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