ID
212550
Edo designations
English designations
Male Figure
King Figure
Categories
Figures
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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Iconographies

2 annotations
Ukpan obọ eva
Crossed Beaded Baldrics

The Ukpan obọ eva (coral-bead crossed baldrics) were worn as part of the ehaingbehia, the full ceremonial regalia, by only high-ranking members of the palace, including the Ọba himself, the Iy’Ọba, the Edaiken, and the Ezọmọ (Ben-Amos 1999, pp. 68, 141; Osadolor in Plankensteiner 2007, cat. no. 70, pp. 322–323).

1 annotation
Ukpan obọ eva
Oro
Headdress/crown with single projection

Figures wearing a headdress with a single protrusion from the crown of the head, known as the Oro, are found only among the Ọba and a select category of palace dignitaries whose ancestors originated in ancient Ile Ife ( ; Ọbazee 2025, p. 407). Only the Osa and Osuan, custodians of the Uwen and Ora deities, as well as members of the Emuru, who are responsible for the care of Iru vessels, may wear a headdress with the Oro. The identification of different figures is therefore interpreted based on the combination of the Oro with other items of regalia. Artists in the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn and Igbesamwan depicted figures with the Oro on Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques) and Aken'ni Elao (carved tusks), respectively. The Oro would either be made of coral beads as part of the crown or headdress, or be woven from itoto fibre ( ).

1 annotation
Oro

Provenance

5 events
Production
unknown to February 22, 1897 (day approximate)
The object was produced by Unknown member(s) of the Igbesamwan 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 1910
The object is known to have come into contact with William Downing Webster, later in London.
Purchase
1910
The object was purchased by the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin from William Downing Webster from London 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.

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
212550
Sachbegriff
designation
Sachbegriff: Skulptur; Sachbegriff: Menschliche Skulptur
Titel
designation
Titel: König von Benin
Objektref.
description
E 1378/1910, Erwerbung: III/59/1910: III C 26372-26376, Ethnogr., Elfenbeinschnitzereien (Westafrika, Benin), Ankauf W.D. Webster, 1910, William Downing Webster (1895)
Texte Online
description
Online Beschreibung, [Benin_Königreich]
Material / Technik
material
Material: Elfenbein; Ausgabe: Elfenbein
Material / Technik // Alle
material
Elfenbein, Elfenbein
Maße
dimensions
H: 12 cm; 12,00 x 3,50 x 2,50 cm
Objekttyp
object type
Allgemein
Sachbegr. Ausgabe
object type
Skulptur
Anzahl Teile
object count
1
Datierung
date made
19. Jh.
Geogr. Bezüge
production place
Nigeria ( Land ); Benin ( Königreich )
Geogr. Bezüge // Alle
production place
Benin, Nigeria
Beteiligte
prior source
William Downing Webster (1895), Veräußerer
Beteiligte // (Name, Sortierung=kleinste)
prior source
Webster, William Downing
Veräußerer
prior source
null
Erwerb. Notiz
provenance
Notiz: Rückführung Wiesbaden; Ausgabe: Auftrag im Königreich Benin im 19. Jh.; vermutlich geplündert im Zusammenhang mit der britischen Eroberung von Benin, 1897; in unbekanntem Besitz nach Feb. 1897; erworben vom Museum für Völkerkunde von William D. Webster, 1910.
Verw. Institution
department and institution
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Erwerb. Datum
accession date
1910
Besitzart
accession method
Erwerbungsart
accession method
Ankauf
Digital Assets
images
Vorlage; Vorlage; Vorlage; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; III C 26375.JPG, Repro Digitalisat
Erwerb. Nr.
III/59/1910
Ident. Nr.
III C 26375
Ident. Nr. // (Sortiernr.)
0003 C 26375
Obj. Status
vorhanden
Sensitive Content

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