Object number
AE:1898.190
Edo designations
English designations
Commemorative Head
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Location
Kildare St, Dublin 2, Ireland
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Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head

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
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
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

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.
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 National Museum of Ireland from William Downing Webster from Bicester to Dublin.

Institution data

National Museum of Ireland
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-07-13
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
Object number
object id
AE:1898.190
Object name
designation
object type
religious/ritual equipment
Description
description
Mask, base for carved Tusk which stood on sacrificial alter (cast brass). Nos 189-193 were taken from Benin when the place was looted by the British troops in 1897.
Production place
production place
Benin City, Nigeria, West Africa, Africa
Acquisition source
prior source
Webster, W.D.
Notes
notes
Images
images
Yes
License
"This image is reproduced with the kind permission of the National Museum of Ireland, in whom the copyright vests. The image may not be copied in any form or medium, nor made available by any means without the consent of the copyright owner."
Sensitive Content

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