Ref. #
EB2
Edo designations
English designations
Fragment
Male Figure
Pendant Plaque
Location
200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, United States
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Iconographies

2 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
Oro
Headdress/crown with single projection

Figures wearing a headdress with a single protrusion from the crown of the head, known as the Oro, are found only among the Ọba and a select category of palace dignitaries whose ancestors originated in ancient Ile Ife ( ; Ọbazee 2025, p. 407). Only the Osa and Osuan, custodians of the Uwen and Ora deities, as well as members of the Emuru, who are responsible for the care of Iru vessels, may wear a headdress with the Oro. The identification of different figures is therefore interpreted based on the combination of the Oro with other items of regalia. Artists in the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn and Igbesamwan depicted figures with the Oro on Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques) and Aken'ni Elao (carved tusks), respectively. The Oro would either be made of coral beads as part of the crown or headdress, or be woven from itoto fibre ( ).

1 annotation
Oro

Provenance

4 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 1902
The object is known to have come into contact with the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, later in Berlin.
Purchase
1902
The object was purchased by the American Museum of Natural History from the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin from Berlin to New York City.

Institution data

American Museum of Natural History
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-09-10
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
Catalog #
object id
1/6503
Ref. #
object id
EB2
Object Name
designation
object type
Figure, Male
Dimensions
dimensions
None recorded
Country
production place
Nigeria/Benin
Locale
production place
Benin
Donor
prior source
Berlin Royal Ethnographic Museum
Acq Year
accession date
accession method
1902 Purchase
In HOAP?
Yes
Sensitive Content

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