Inventory no. [ObjInventarNrS]
1155
Edo designations
English designations
Relief Plaque
Categories
Palace Architecture & Ornamentation
Location
Schaumainkai 29-37, 60594 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque

Iconographies

2 annotations
Owẹn iba ẹdẹ ku
Rosette - 'The Sun Never Misses a Day'

This rosette design, usually found in the corners of Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques), is one of two motifs representing the sun and one of a number of motifs in Edo art that are also connected with Olokun. The association between the sun and Olokun refers to the way in which the sun descends into the sea each day—hence the proverb ‘the sun never misses a day’—and the sea is where the deity Olokun lives ( ).

1 annotation
Owẹn iba ẹdẹ ku
Fan
Ẹzuzu
Hand fan

Ẹzuzu (round hand fans) are usually carried by attendants to the Ọba or Iy’Ọba. On the Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques), male attendants to the Ọba carry fans, whereas on Urhotọ (altar tableaux), female attendants carrying fans are depicted flanking the Iy’Ọba. Ẹzuzu connote the status of both the person being fanned and the holder, who is usually an attendant fanning the superior Ọba or Iy’Ọba. Usually, male attendants—members of the Emada—would be represented with the Ọba, while young women would attend to the Iy’Ọba. Ẹzuzu have an important function in cooling; however, the wafting of the fans can also calm spiritual energy, thus making the fan a symbol of peace ( ).

A further symbolic use for the Ẹzuzu includes blowing medicine across the surface of a fan and using mirrored fans by ritual specialists to make predictions about the future ( ). The symbolic importance of fans in Edo belief is reflected in their use as one of a small group of inanimate objects that are the focal subjects of some Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn.

1 annotation
Ẹzuzu

Provenance

3 events
Production
1504 (approximate) to 1550 (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.
Purchase
unknown to 1910 (uncertain/approximate)
The object was purchased by the Weltkulturen Museum Frankfurt am Main with its destination in Frankfurt.

Related archival documents

1 documents
See all
An archival document representing a Accession Records of 1 page(s)
Accession RecordInventory
Weltkulturen Museum Frankfurt am Main
Inventory book WKM FFM

Institution data

Weltkulturen Museum Frankfurt am Main
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2021-04-20
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
Inventory no. [ObjInventarNrS]
object id
1155
Object designation [ObjTitelOriginalS]
designation
object type
Plaque. house ornament
Description [ObjReserve02M]
description
01155. Plaque with depiction of a fan, 2 rosettes, on the background blossoms and punctuations. "Considering the time at which the plaques were made - and this one may be datable to c. 1600 - the technique of making a fan has remained the same to the present day." (Dark p. 107) "Olokun designs, found on plaques ... ebe-ame (River leaf) ... owen iba ede ku (the sun never misses a day). ... The quatrefoil represents river leaves which are used by Olokun priestesses in curing rites." (Ben Amos 1980: 28f) LIT Dark 1973: An introduction to Benin art and technology. Abb. 186 Ben Amos 1980: The art of Benin. London Pitt Rivers Cat. Pl. XLII, 323
Mat./Technique [ObjTechMatM]
material
Brass casting; Brass with high zinc content, very low tin content, slightly increased lead content
Dimensions [ObjMasse1S]
dimensions
L 58; B 38.1
Dating [ObjDatierungS]
date made
Year from [ObjJahrVonL]
date made
Year until [ObjJahrBisL]
date made
Geographical reference [ObjGeografieS]
production place
Kingdom of Benin (Africa->West Africa->Nigeria)
Name sorting [KueSortierungS_0]
prior source
no entry
Name sorting [KueSortierungS_1]
prior source
First Name 2 [KueVorNameS_1]
provenance
First name [KueVorNameS_0]
provenance
Function collector 2 [OkuFunktionS_1]
provenance
Function collector [OkuFunktionS_0]
provenance
Inventory note [ObjFeld07M]
provenance
Last Name 2 [KueNameS_1]
provenance
Last name [KueNameS_0]
provenance
no entry
Date of acquisition[ObjFeld04M]
accession date
Acquisition type [ObjFeld02M]
accession method
Comemnts[ObjCreditlineM]
notes
Exhibition
exhibition history
Literature
bibliography
Type [ObjSystematikS]
Part (Building)
Type of ownership [ObjFeld01M]
Type of person 2 [KueTypS_1]
Type of person [KueTypS_0]
Person
Sensitive Content

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