ObjectNumber_Original
VO_98156
Institution
Weltmuseum Wien
Edo designations
English designations
Relief Plaque
Categories
Palace Architecture & Ornamentation
Location
Heldenplatz, 1010 Wien, Austria
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Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque

Iconographies

6 annotations
tribal marks
Iwu
Facial and Body Markings

Iwu are facial and body markings (scarifications) that were historically worn by Edo men and women. However, since the 1960s, the practice has been nearly extinct (Aisien 2011). In the past, Iwu were used as a way of proving that one was an Edo citizen, and the ceremony of having Iwu completed was an important rite of passage for men and women. The Osiwu, who also practised circumcision and other surgical procedures, would carry out the procedure of adding Iwu. There are different types of Iwu: ‘blades’ worn on the torso (Iwu-eko), and those worn on the face, such as Ikharo (three or four markings above the eyebrows), Irho (two narrow ‘blades’ worn on each cheek), Ovbihue (nasal ‘blades’), Ovbi-agbanmwen (chin ‘blade’), and Igho-okpa/Ukpgho (three forehead ‘blades’) (Aisien 2011, p. 22).

The number of Iwu also varied depending on the identity of the person wearing them. For example, royal men would wear six ‘blades’ on their torso, whilst men who were not royal would wear seven ‘blades’. Meanwhile, the Ọba’s female children would wear fifteen ‘blades’, and all other women would wear sixteen (Aisien 2011).

1 annotation
Iwu
Water fern
Ebe Amẹ
Water Fern

Ebe Amẹ refers to a wide variety of plants, particularly the leaves of the water fern or river leaf, found in riverine areas of southern Nigeria ( ). Artists from the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn used these as a decorative motif in the background of most Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques). The petals of the Ebe Amẹ, like the points of the ἀghàdàgháda (crossroads), represent the four cardinal directions: north, east, south, and west. The number four plays a foundational role in the Edo calendar, which is structured around four market days ( ).

1 annotation
Ebe Amẹ
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
Ukpan obọ ọkpa
Single Beaded Baldric

Ukpan obọ ọkpa is a single baldric worn diagonally across the torso, from the left shoulder to the right hip. Barbara Blackmun described these baldrics as an “Ẹkpẹn band,” worn by figures as “a sign of distinction” ( ).

1 annotation
Ukpan obọ ọkpa
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
TBC_Ukuse
Rattle

Spherical rattles made from gourds and covered with nets, known as Ukuse, are held in both hands by some figures depicted on Emwin Arre (royal treasures). Barbara Blackmun ( ) noted that these rattles are unusually spherical and smaller than the gourd rattles used today, suggesting that they may have had a particular significance. The Ọba is sometimes depicted holding such a rattle while “wearing an empowering necklace and his most elaborate crown.” On this basis, Blackmun argued that the “spherical rattle of diminutive size and shape may have been employed to heal, or to bring about other transformation” ( ).

1 annotation
TBC_Ukuse

Provenance

4 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.
Unknown
1900s
The object is known to have come into contact with Hans Meyer, later in Leipzig.
Unknown
1918
The object is known to have come into contact with Hans Meyer and the Weltmuseum Wien, in Leipzig and later Vienna.

Related archival documents

1 documents
See all
An archival document representing a Inventories of 1 page(s)
InventoryAccession Record
Weltmuseum Wien
Inventory book - objects
Date
January 1, 1918

Institution data

Weltmuseum Wien
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-05-24
Languages: german, english
Institution fieldValue
ObjectNumber_Original
object id
VO_98156
NativeTitle
edo designation
TextEntry
description
Diese Reliefplatte: Würdenträger mit Kugelrassel ist Teil der historischen Sammlungen aus dem Königreich Benin im heutigen Nigeria. 1897 wurde das Königreich erobert und dessen Oba (König) Ovonramwen ins Exil verbannt. Die aus dem Königspalast geraubten K
Medium
material
Gelbguss
Medium_en
material
Brass
ObjectName
object type
Reliefplatte: Würdenträger mit Kugelrassel
ObjectName_en
object type
Relief Plaque: Dignitary with Rattle
DateBegin
date made
DateEnd
date made
Dated
date made
Dated_en
date made
Period
date made
Term
production place
Afrika südlich der Sahara
Term2
production place
West-Afrika
Term3
production place
Nigeria
Term4
production place
Benin
Thesaurus
production place
Afrika südlich der Sahara/West-Afrika/Nigeria/Benin
Provenance
provenance
Role_person
provenance
Sammlung-Collection-Hans Meyer|
Culture
ethnic attribution
Edo, Benin Königreich
Culture_en
ethnic attribution
Edo, Benin Kingdom
CreditLine
department and institution
Weltmuseum Wien
Department
department and institution
MVK Objekte - Afrika südlich der Sahara
Zugangsdatum
accession date
1918
LocationString
display status
FileName
images
VO_98156_201902.jpg|
PrimaryImage
images
VO_98156_201902.jpg
Classification
||
DepartmentID
35
Department_cut
Afrika südlich der Sahara
DisplayOrder
|
Last_Modified
2021-12-06 08:15:34
LocationID
ObjectID
428241
ObjectNumber
98156
PublicAccess
1
SortNumber
VO 98156
TextDate_en
|
TextEntryHTML
Diese Reliefplatte: Würdenträger mit Kugelrassel ist Teil der historischen Sammlungen aus dem Königreich Benin im heutigen Nigeria. 1897 wurde das Königreich erobert und dessen Oba (König) Ovonramwen ins Exil verbannt. Die aus dem Königspalast geraubten K
TextEntryHTML_en
This Relief Plaque: Dignitary with Rattle is part of the historical collections from the Benin Kingdom, in present-day Nigeria. In 1897, the kingdom was conquered and Oba (king) Ovonramwen banned into exile. The loot from the royal palace was then sold th
TextEntry_en
This Relief Plaque: Dignitary with Rattle is part of the historical collections from the Benin Kingdom, in present-day Nigeria. In 1897, the kingdom was conquered and Oba (king) Ovonramwen banned into exile. The loot from the royal palace was then sold th
cxrDisplayOrder
1|
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