Inventory no. [ObjInventarNrS]
1157
Edo designations
English designations
Udo-Style Head
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Location
Schaumainkai 29-37, 60594 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Udo-Style Head
Udo-Style Head

Iconographies

2 annotations
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
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

Provenance

3 events
Production
unknown to February 22, 1897 (day approximate)
The object was produced in Edo State.
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
1157
Object designation [ObjTitelOriginalS]
designation
object type
Ancestor head
Description [ObjReserve02M]
description
01157. So-called Udo head. Decorative scars, neck rings, row hairstyle. Rectangular hole in the neck. Dust patina. Casting defect on the right side. 1 braid old broken loose. "... Is a provincial style kope.... A head like this, along with several figures, comes from the small town of Udo, about 65 km from Benin. There are several such heads that we consider to belong to the Udo style, and since we cannot be more precise, we assume that the pieces were made there. Since they copy Early Period heads, they were felt to be of that period; but thermoluminescence data from two of these heads place them in the late 16th century-in other words, in the early part of the Middle Period (Willett 50) Inscription to Fig. 77: "16th/17th c. ... Udo sought to compete with Benin and this piece - along with 13 others - gives the Udo version of the commemorative heads ... again. ... The distinctly provincial Udo works reveal a vitality that those who copy them lack." PUBL Luschan v. 1919: Altertümer von Benin. I, 268, Tfl. 57, 58 Vatter Ernst. 1926: Religiöse Plastik der Naturvölker. Ffm. Abb. 96 und p. 187 Rachewiltz. Boris. 1960: Afrikanische Kunst. Abb. 14 LIT Kat Pitt Rivers 1976 pl XXIV, 149/50 - head of a girl Dark 1982: ill 4 Willett/Eyo. 1980: Kunstschätze aus Alt-Nigeria. Mainz
Mat./Technique [ObjTechMatM]
material
Yellow cast iron; brass with approximately equal amounts of tin, lead and zinc in the lower concentration range and elevated trace element concentrations.
Dimensions [ObjMasse1S]
dimensions
H 21.5
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
Supplement data. Collector. Color drawing Kraus.
Exhibition
exhibition history
Literature
bibliography
Type [ObjSystematikS]
Rite/Cult
Type of ownership [ObjFeld01M]
Type of person 2 [KueTypS_1]
Type of person [KueTypS_0]
Person
Sensitive Content

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