ID
211973
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

3 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
Unwẹnrhiẹnọtan
Switch

The Unwẹnrhiẹnọtan (switch) is made from branches of a tall shrub and is held by the Ọba and certain chiefs, such as the Osuan and Ooton, during sacrificial rituals and ceremonies, particularly Ugie Erha Ọba (B ). Figures carrying Unwẹnrhiẹnọtan are depicted in brass on the Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques) and also carved in ivory on the Aken'ni Elao (altar tusk).

According to Barbara Blackmun ( ), the Unwẹnrhiẹnọtan “is required whenever the sacrifice of a living creature takes place within the Ọba’s palace complex, to drive away intrusive spiritual forces. The upright position of this essential implement suggests that the person who holds it is about to preside over a sacrificial ceremony.”

1 annotation
Unwẹnrhiẹnọtan
Ėwùϙsዕtợ
Long gown

Ėwùϙsዕtỏ is the Edo term for a long, woven garment (Ọbazee 2025, p. 144). The Osuan, the high priest of Uwen, and the Ooton may both wear the Ėwùϙsዕtỏ, making it difficult to distinguish between the two figures based on their attire alone. In depictions on Aken'ni Elao, figures identified as Ooton are more commonly represented than the Osuan specifically ( ). Both figures are also depicted holding Unwẹnrhiẹnọtan (switches) alongside the Ėwùϙsዕtỏ.

Today, neither the Osuan nor the Ooton wears the long gown, although both are associated with a distinctive hairstyle ( ). On ivory and brass Emwin Arhe (royal treasures), the Ooton or Osuan is depicted wearing the Ėwùϙsዕtỏ with his left hand placed on his chest, over a bulge beneath the gown. This bulge is understood to conceal the jawbone of the deceased Iyasẹ, which the Ooton wears. According to Barbara Blackmun ( ), because the Iyasẹ was the leader of the opposition to the Ọba, the jawbone became the “locus of the Iyasẹ’s disturbing dissent as he voices disagreement.” As a result, the Iyasẹ’s family was required to give the jawbone to members of the Ooton guild, who kept it in the royal palace.

1 annotation
Ėwùϙsዕtợ

Provenance

6 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
January 1898 to July 1898
The object is known to have come into contact with Friedrich Erdmann, in Benin City.
Transfer
July 1898 (year approximate)
The object was transferred from Friedrich Erdmann through Bey & Co. from Benin City to Hamburg.
Purchase
1899
The object was purchased by the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin from Heinrich Bey and Bey & Co. from Hamburg 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
211973
Sachbegriff
designation
Sachbegriff: Reliefplatte
Titel
designation
Titel: Ooton-Priester (Relief plaque)
Objektref.
description
E 1151/1898, Erwerbung: I/41/1899: III C 8348-8531, Altertümer (Benin), H. Bey, Hamburg, 1898, Heinrich Bey (1882)
Texte Online
description
Online Beschreibung, Ooton-Priester sind an dem zapfenförmigen Aufsatz der Kopfbedeckung zu erkennen, die außer ihnen nur der König und einige Würdenträger tragen durften. Die lange Gerte, die er in der Hand trägt, dient der Abwehr böser Mächte bei den Opferhandlungen. [Benin_Königreich]
Material / Technik
material
Material: Messing; Ausgabe: Messing
Material / Technik // Alle
material
Messing, Messing
Maße
dimensions
H: 39 cm B: 17 cm
Objekttyp
object type
Allgemein
Sachbegr. Ausgabe
object type
Reliefplatte
Anzahl Teile
object count
1
Datierung
date made
16. Jh.
Geogr. Bezüge
production place
Nigeria ( Land ); Benin ( Königreich )
Geogr. Bezüge // Alle
production place
Nigeria, Benin
Beteiligte
prior source
Heinrich Bey (1882), Sammler
Beteiligte // (Name, Sortierung=kleinste)
prior source
Bey, Heinrich
Veräußerer
prior source
null
Erwerb. Notiz
provenance
Erwerbung von: H. Bey; 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 des Königreichs Benin; gesammelt im Auftrag der Firma Bey & Co., zwischen 1897 und 1898 im Gebiet des späteren kolonialen Nigeria; verkauft an das Königliche Museum für Völkerkunde in Berlin, 1899.
Verw. Institution
department and institution
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Erwerb. Datum
accession date
1899
Besitzart
accession method
Erwerbungsart
accession method
Ankauf
Digital Assets
images
III C 8410.JPG, Repro Digitalisat
Erwerb. Nr.
I/41/1899
Ident. Nr.
III C 8410
Ident. Nr. // (Sortiernr.)
0003 C 08410
Obj. Status
vorhanden
object_images/creator
license
Claudia Obrocki
Sensitive Content

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