ID
211125
Edo designations
English designations
Relief Plaque
Categories
Palace Architecture & Ornamentation
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque

Iconographies

5 annotations
moon
Uki
Moon

The Uki (moon) is said to be associated with coolness, peace, and joy and to be more important than even Owẹn (the sun) ( ; ). The behaviour and nature of the moon were and are studied by the Iwoki, the guild of astrologists and meteorologists established by Ọba Esigie (c. 1504–50).

The Uki is usually depicted in crescent or half-moon form and appears on some of the Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques), sometimes on its own as a corner motif and at other times as part of compositions with figures identified as being part of the Iwoki. Crescent forms of the moon are also used as part of the motifs decorating textiles and clothing worn by figures.

1 annotation
Uki
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
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
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
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

Provenance

5 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 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

2 documents
See all
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
211125
Sachbegriff
designation
Sachbegriff: Reliefplatte
Titel
designation
Titel: Höfling mit ekpokin-Behälter
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, Höfling mit ẹkpokin-Behälter zum Überreichen von Gaben an den König [Benin_Königreich]
Material / Technik
material
Material: Messing; Ausgabe: Messing
Material / Technik // Alle
material
Messing, Messing
Maße
dimensions
H: 49 cm B: 34 cm
Objekttyp
object type
Allgemein
Sachbegr. Ausgabe
object type
Reliefplatte (Relief plaque)
Anzahl Teile
object count
1
Datierung
date made
16. Jh.
Geogr. Bezüge
production place
Nigeria ( Land ); Benin ( Königreich )
Geogr. Bezüge // Alle
production place
Benin, Nigeria
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: 16. Jh., im Auftrag von Oba Esigie (reg. 1517-1550) oder seines Sohnes Oba Orhogbua (reg. 1550-1570), Königspalast, Benin-Stadt; durch Erbschaft an Oba Ovonramwen (ca. 1857-1914; reg. 1888-97), Königspalast, Benin-Stadt; geplündert im Zusammenhang mit der britischen Eroberung von Benin, 1897; in unbekanntem Besitz nach der Eroberung vom Königreich 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 8210.JPG, Repro Digitalisat
Erwerb. Nr.
I/133/1898
Ident. Nr.
III C 8210
Ident. Nr. // (Sortiernr.)
0003 C 08210
Obj. Status
vorhanden
Sensitive Content

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