ID
210071
Edo designations
English designations
Trophy Head
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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Trophy Head
Trophy Head

Iconographies

4 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
Ikan Aro
Incised forehead markings

Ikan Aro are two linear markings in the centre of the forehead, located in between the eyes. These are usually inset with iron on depictions otherwise made of brass, bronze, ivory or wood.The use of iron was significant due the association of this metal with Ogun, who is god of iron and metal. These markings appear on both men and women, however are a common feature of representations of Iy'Oba Idia. Flora Kaplan (1993, 59) argued these are not tattoos, unlike the Ikharo. According to Nevadomsky (1986, 42), these incisions "signify determination, firmness, resolve, or even maturity". Kaplan (1993, 59) has also made a link between these markings and oral history told to her by Oba Erediauwa describing the events leading up to Idia (before she was Iy’Ọba) becoming the wife of Ọba Ozolua, whereby her parents tried to disfigure her to “repel” the Ọba. According to this history, the Ọba “sensing something was wrong”, called his doctors to intervene and treat her quickly, and as so she still became his wife.

1 annotation
Ikan Aro
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
hairstyles
Eto
hairstyles

Hairstyles are used to determine a person's status in the society, as chiefs, common folks, chief's wives and the wives of the Ọba all wear different hairstyles. We have Okuku, Ikpe~okhokho, Idu~akpata

1 annotation
Eto

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 February 1897 Unknown member of the British colonial military campaign on Benin from Benin Kingdom.
Unknown
some day in March 1897 to September 10, 1898
The object is known to have come into contact with Eduard Schmidt.
Purchase
September 13, 1898 to December 31, 1898
The object was purchased by the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin from Eduard Schmidt with its destination in Berlin.
Restitution
August 25, 2022
The object was restituted by the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin to the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria through Hermann Parzinger and Abba Isa Tijani from Berlin to Nigeria.

Related archival documents

1 documents
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Date

Institution data

Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2021-06-14
Language: german
Institution fieldValue
ID
object id
210071
Sachbegriff
designation
Sachbegriff: Plastik; Sachbegriff: Menschlicher Kopf (Plastik)
Titel
designation
Titel: Trophäenkopf
Objektref.
description
E 663/1898, Erwerbung: a.) I/131/1898 + b.) I/132/1898 + I/133/1898: a.) III C 8164-8182 + b.) III C 8183-8192 + c.) III C 8193-8218, a,b.) Bronzen c.) Bronzen u. Elefantenzahn (Benin), Consul Schmidt, 1898, Eduard Schmidt (1892)
Texte Online
description
Online Beschreibung, Trophäenköpfe unterscheiden sich von königlichen Gedenkköpfen durch das Fehlen der Kappe aus Korallenperlen. Lediglich die Korallenketten um den Hals verweisen auf den hohen Rang des Dargestellten. Sie werden deshalb als Trophäenköpfe interpretiert, die besiegte mächtige Personen darstellen. [Benin_Königreich]
Material / Technik
material
Material: Messing; Material: Eisen; Ausgabe: Messing; Eisen
Material / Technik // Alle
material
Messing; Eisen, Messing, Eisen
Maße
dimensions
ca. 0,50 cm; 4,90 kg; 22,00 x 12,00 x 12,00 cm
Objekttyp
object type
Allgemein
Sachbegr. Ausgabe
object type
Plastik
Anzahl Teile
object count
Datierung
date made
18. Jh.-19. Jh.
Geogr. Bezüge
production place
Nigeria ( Land ); Benin ( Königreich )
Geogr. Bezüge // Alle
production place
Nigeria, Benin
Beteiligte
prior source
Eduard Schmidt (1892), Sammler
Beteiligte // (Name, Sortierung=kleinste)
prior source
Schmidt, Eduard
Veräußerer
prior source
null
Erwerb. Notiz
provenance
Notiz: Rückführung Leipzig; Ausgabe: 18. Jh. - 19. Jh., Auftragsarbeit der Igun Eronmwon oder Gilde der Messinggießer im Königreich Benin für einen königlichen Gedenkaltar gegeben; durch Erbschaft an Oba Ovonramwen (ca. 1857-1914; reg. 1888-97), Königspalast, Benin-Stadt; vermutlich geplündert im Zusammenhang mit der britischen Eroberung von Benin, 1897; in unbekanntem Besitz nach der Eroberung des Königreichs Benin; gesammelt von Konsul Eduard Schmidt, Angestellter der Woermann Linie, zwischen 1897 und 1898 im Gebiet des späteren kolonialen Nigeria; verkauft an das Königliche Museum für Völkerkunde in Berlin, 1898.
Verw. Institution
department and institution
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Erwerb. Datum
accession date
1898
Besitzart
accession method
Erwerbungsart
accession method
Ankauf
Digital Assets
images
III C 8170.jpg, Repro Digitalisat
Erwerb. Nr.
I/131/1898
Ident. Nr.
III C 8170
Ident. Nr. // (Sortiernr.)
0003 C 08170
Obj. Status
vorhanden
Sensitive Content

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