Catalogue
Inventory number
LG1953.22.14
Institution
Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria
Edo designations
Uru
Uru
English designations
Ewer
Categories
Ceremonial Objects
Containers
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
Ewer
Ewer
Ewer
Ewer
Ewer

Iconographies

2 annotations
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
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

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.
Inheritance
1917
The object was inherited by R. B. Allman from Robert B. Allman.
Auction
December 7, 1953
The object was auctioned to the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria through Sotheby's, William Buller Fagg and Colonial Government of Nigeria in London.

Related archival documents

1 documents
See all
An archival document representing a Auction Catalog of 26 page(s)
Auction Catalogue
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Thomas J. Watson Library sales and auction catalogues
Date
December 7, 1953

Institution data

Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria
The data was transferred directly by the institution and digitized by Digital Benin in collaboration with the NCMM
Last updated: 2023-11-30
Languages: english, bini; edo
Institution fieldValue
Inventory number
object id
LG1953.22.14
URL
weblink
https://digitalbenin.org/catalogue/37_LG19532214
Object Description
description
Uru are used for pouring and storing palm wine (okhere) and other liquid substances like water. In the Edo language, Uru is used to describe objects which could be considered jugs, ewers and aquamaniles.
Diameter
dimensions
18.4
Dimension L (cm)
dimensions
38.5
Dimension W (cm)
dimensions
Dimension H (cm)
dimensions
Brief Object Description
designation
Material
material
Object Count
object count
1
Date Made
date made
Associated Guild
producer
Igun Ẹrọnmwọn
Production Technique
production technique
Casting
Production Place
production place
Benin City
Inscriptions
inscriptions
Note
Inventory Book Description
Bronze jug from Benin. No. 186 in the sale catalogue where it is described as follows: "A RARE BENIN BRONZE WATER POT with globular body and cylindrical spreading neck, the handle in the form of a snake, a monkey in relief on the front, its mouth as the spout, the body ornamented with masks in relief and incised with figures and stylised foliage, the hinged cover termination in a scated figure and supported on four human feet with anklets, 15". Purchased by the Nigerian Government at a sale by Messrs. Sotheby & Co. Bond Street, London on December 7th, 1953: Mr. W. B. Fagg assistant keeper, British Museum acted for the Nigerian Government at the sale.
fileNames
LG19532214_4.jpg, LG19532214_2.jpg, LG19532214_1.jpg, LG19532214_3.jpg, LG19532214_5.jpg
Sensitive Content

Digital Benin collates digital material from institutions, and some of this material is inherently colonial and contains words, terms and phrases that are inaccurate, derogatory and harmful towards African and African diasporic communities. Catalogue transcriptions, book titles, exhibition titles and museum titles may contain harmful terms. We recognise the potential for the material to cause physical and mental distress as well as evoke strong emotions. Owing to the scale of the collection’s data, a process to implement sensitive-content warnings in the displayed data is still incomplete. The material within the catalogue does not represent Digital Benin’s views. Digital Benin maintains a strong anti-colonial, anti-racist position and affirms its support for centring the humanity of historically marginalised and disenfranchised communities. Read more about the background of this statement here

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