ID
210772
Edo designations
English designations
Fragment
Altar Tableau
Queen Mother Figure
Categories
Figures
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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Fragment
Fragment
Fragment

Iconographies

3 annotations
Ititi ako
Star beads

The Ititi ako is a cluster of coral beads, usually three or four, attached to a pin and used to embellish the royal crowns on Uhunmwu-Elao (commemorative heads) and Uhunmwu-Ẹkuẹ (pendant masks). These bead clusters are also known as star beads, which indicate the prosperous destiny of an individual or wearer. Apart from enhancing the appearance of the wearer, they also represent the individual’s high social status. Judging from their presence on a variety of head sculptures, both men and women wore Ititi ako.

1 annotation
Ititi ako
Ubanu'hi / Obanu'hi
Ubanu'hi / Obanu'hi
Inifinity Symbol

The Ubanu'hi (infinity symbol) is a kind of guilloche or interlaced strapwork motif that can be angular or rounded. It was used by Edo artists in the decoration of many Emwin Arhe (royal treasures) and is ubiquitous in Benin royal arts. Ubanu'hi is a shortened form of “uba no Ọba ya de agbon ke ehimwin yi”, which means “the rope with which the Ọba ties the heaven and earth together” (pers. comm. Chief John Igbineweka Inneh n’Igbesawman, 2022). Similarly, Paula Ben-Amos Girshick (in Plankensteiner 2007, pp. 339, 341) described this as “Ọba n’iri agbon”, or the “rope of the world” pattern.

According to Ọbabanmu Ineh (in Blackmun 1984, p. 51), the use of this motif indicates that objects were carved by members of the Igbesanmwan. However, the motif is found on all types of Emwin Arhe (royal treasures), not only those made of ivory or wood. On the flanges of the Ama (relief plaques) alone, Kathryn Gunsch (2018, pp. 75–77) identified three different versions of the Ubanu'hi and, through her analysis of over 850 plaques, found that these different Ubanu'hi forms align with other characteristics, such as dimensions, the prevalence of ornamental motifs, and stylistic qualities. Together, these provide evidence, she argues, of different production groups among the plaque makers .

Kate Ezra (1992, pp. 209, 264) went on to argue that the use of these motifs indicates that certain objects were used in a “royal context” and were associated with “royal patronage”.

1 annotation
Ubanu'hi / Obanu'hi
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

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
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to 1898
The object is known to have come into contact with William Downing Webster, later in Bicester.
Purchase
1898
The object was purchased by the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin from William Downing Webster from Bicester to 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
210772
Sachbegriff
designation
Sachbegriff: Plastik; Sachbegriff: Menschliche Plastik
Titel
designation
Titel: Königinmutter von einer Altargruppe (Queen mother; fragment of an altar group)
Objektref.
description
E 534/1898, Erwerbung: I/80/1898: III C 8054-8084, VI 14555-14556, Ethnogr. (Benin; N. Guinea), Webster, 1898, William Downing Webster (1895)
Texte Online
description
Online Beschreibung, Königinmutter von einer Altargruppe [Benin_Königreich]
Material / Technik
material
Material: Messing; Ausgabe: Messing
Material / Technik // Alle
material
Messing, Messing
Maße
dimensions
22,50 x 7,50 x 7,50 cm; 1,81 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
William Downing Webster (1895), Veräußerer
Beteiligte // (Name, Sortierung=kleinste)
prior source
Webster, William Downing
Veräußerer
prior source
null
Erwerb. Notiz
provenance
Erwerbung von: [William Downing] Webster; Notiz: Rückführung Wiesbaden; Ausgabe: 18. Jh. - 19. Jh., im Auftrag im Königreich Benin gegeben; vermutlich geplündert im Zusammenhang mit der britischen Eroberung von Benin, 1897; in unbekanntem Besitz zwischen Feb. 1897 und 1898; erworben vom Museum für Völkerkunde von William D. Webster, 1898.
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; Vorlage; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; III C 8057.JPG, Repro Digitalisat
Erwerb. Nr.
I/80/1898
Ident. Nr.
III C 8057
Ident. Nr. // (Sortiernr.)
0003 C 08057
Obj. Status
vorhanden
Sensitive Content

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