Ukpu
Ukpu (cups) included in the catalogue are made from brass, bronze, wood or ivory. Some are decorated with human figures and others have pedestals or feet, similar to a chalice. Those in brass and ivory would have been mostly used in the royal court, as the possession of objects made from these materials was restricted to the Ọba and some chiefs who obtained certain ranks in palace societies.
Educational Material
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