ID
210758
Edo designations
English designations
Trophy Head
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
Loading...
Trophy Head
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
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
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
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

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 February 1897 Unknown member of the British colonial military campaign on Benin from Benin Kingdom.
Auction
August 18, 1897
The object was auctioned to the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin through Hale & Son in London.
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

3 documents
See all
Date
Date
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
210758
Sachbegriff
designation
Sachbegriff: Plastik; Sachbegriff: Menschlicher Kopf (Plastik)
Titel
designation
Titel: Trophäenkopf (Trophy head)
Objektref.
description
E 132/1898, Erwerbung: a.) I/49/1898 b.) I/55/1898 + c.) I/129/1898: a.) III C 7638-7670, Ethnogr. (Zähne, Bronzen etc.) (Benin), [Ankauf] Hale & Son + b.) III C 7761, Abguss eines Elephantenzahns (Benin), Original im Besitz von Dr. H. Meyer in Leipzig + c.) VIII 6094 a-c - 6099, Photogr. (BNenin), bei Hale&Son angefertigt, 1898, Hale & Son (1887); VIII A 10717, Positiv, SW, Plastik (Kopf, männl.), Bronze, Kurt Grunst (*04.04.1921)
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; Ausgabe: Messing; Ausgabe (engl.): Brass
Material / Technik // Alle
material
Messing, Brass, Messing
Maße
dimensions
21,70 x 16,60 x 20,10 cm; 4,70 kg
Objekttyp
object type
Allgemein
Sachbegr. Ausgabe
object type
Plastik (Sculpture)
Anzahl Teile
object count
1
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
Hale & Son (1887), Veräußerer
Beteiligte // (Name, Sortierung=kleinste)
prior source
Hale & Son
Veräußerer
prior source
null
Erwerb. Notiz
provenance
Erwerbung von: Hale & Son; Notiz: Rückführung Wiesbaden; Ausgabe: 18. Jh. bis 19. Jh, im Auftrag für einen königlichen Gedenkaltar gegeben; durch Erbschaft an Oba Ovonramwen (ca. 1857-1914; reg. 1888-97), Königspalast, Benin-Stadt; geplündert im Zusammenhang mit der britischen Eroberung von Benin, 1897; versteigert von der Firma Hale & Son, 1897; ersteigert vom Königlichen Museum für Völkerkunde, 1897.
Verw. Institution
department and institution
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Erwerb. Datum
accession date
1898
Besitzart
accession method
Eigentum
Erwerbungsart
accession method
Ankauf
Digital Assets
images
Vorlage; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vorlage; Vorlage; Vorlage; III C 7658 -A.jpg, Repro Digitalisat; III C 7658.jpg, Repro Digitalisat
Erwerb. Nr.
I/49/1898
Ident. Nr.
III C 7658
Ident. Nr. // (Sortiernr.)
0003 C 07658
Obj. Status
vorhanden
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