Inventarnr
98-47
Edo designations
English designations
Fragment
Male Figure
Categories
Figures
Location
Maximilianstraße 42, 80538 München, Germany
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Fragment
Fragment

Iconographies

3 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
Ukpan obọ eva
Crossed Beaded Baldrics

The Ukpan obọ eva (coral-bead crossed baldrics) were worn as part of the ehaingbehia, the full ceremonial regalia, by only high-ranking members of the palace, including the Ọba himself, the Iy’Ọba, the Edaiken, and the Ezọmọ (Ben-Amos 1999, pp. 68, 141; Osadolor in Plankensteiner 2007, cat. no. 70, pp. 322–323).

1 annotation
Ukpan obọ eva
Ukhurhẹ
Ancestral Staff

Representations of figures, often the Ọba, with an Ukhurhẹ (Ancestral Staff) in their right hand recur in a number of Emwin Arre (royal treasures), particularly those carved in wood as Agba (royal stools), cast in brass as part of Osogan (Osun staffs) and Ikẹgobọ (altars to the hand), and carved in ivory as Aken'ni Elao (carved tusks).

Ukhurhẹ are rattle staffs, usually made from wood, although brass examples are believed to have been owned by the Ọba. Ukhurhẹ were, and continue to be, commissioned when the paternal head of a family passes away as a way of commemorating them ( ). Following a ceremony in which they are installed on the family’s ancestral altar, Ukhurhẹ are typically lined up against the back of the altar and are used to communicate with ancestors and the spirit world. When depicted on the Emwin Arhe, Ukhurhẹ are usually held in the right hand of the Ọba, while an Ughavan (celts) is carried in his left hand.

1 annotation
Ukhurhẹ

Provenance

5 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 1899
The object is known to have come into contact with Wilhelm Albert Maschmann, in Benin City and later Lagos.
Transfer
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to 1898
The object was transferred from Wilhelm Albert Maschmann from Lagos to Hamburg.
Purchase
1898
The object was purchased by the Museum Fünf Kontinente, Staatliche Museen in Bayern from Wilhelm Albert Maschmann from Hamburg to Munich.

Related archival documents

1 documents
See all
An archival document representing a Accession Records of 170 page(s)
Accession RecordInventory
Museum Fünf Kontinente, Staatliche Museen in Bayern
SMV-24 [1894-1902 Inv.Nr. 94.1-02.166]
Date
December 14, 1898 to December 31, 1902

Institution data

Museum Fünf Kontinente, Staatliche Museen in Bayern
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-05-22
Language: german
Institution fieldValue
Inventarnr
object id
98-47
Objektbezeichnung, Titel
designation
Figur eines Oba
Material
material
Kupferlegierung
Maße/Breite
dimensions
Maße/Durchmesser
dimensions
Maße/Höhe
dimensions
10 cm
Maße/Länge
dimensions
Maße/Objektmaß
dimensions
Maße/Tiefe
dimensions
Gewicht
weight
Datierung
date made
17. – 19. Jh.
Herkunft
production place
Benin Reich (Historische Region) (Afrika/Nigeria)
Beteiligte Personen/SammlerIn
prior source
Beteiligte Personen/VorbesitzerIn
prior source
Maschmann, Albert; Hamburg
Provenance
provenance
vorh. 1952
Eingangsdatum
accession date
1898
Erwerbungsart / Verbleib
accession method
Kauf
Copyright
license
Museum Fünf Kontinente, Nicolai Kästner (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Beteiligte Personen/UrheberIn
Unbekannt
Sensitive Content

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