Provenance

6 events

Production

unknown to February 22, 1897 (day approximate)

The object was produced in Edo State.

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

1904 (approximate)

The object is known to have come into contact with Bernhard Adolf Heemke, in Benin City.

Transfer

1904 (approximate)

The object was transferred from Bernhard Adolf Heemke through Bey & Co. from Benin City to Hamburg.

Purchase

1904

The object was purchased by the MARKK Museum am Rothenbaum Kulturen und Künste der Welt from Bernhard Adolf Heemke in Hamburg.

Restitution

December 16, 2022

The object was restituted by the MARKK Museum am Rothenbaum Kulturen und Künste der Welt to the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria through Carsten Brosda, S.E. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Abba Isa Tijani and Barbara Plankensteiner from Hamburg to Nigeria.

Institution data

MARKK Museum am Rothenbaum Kulturen und Künste der Welt

The data was transferred directly by the institution.

Last updated: 2022-06-10

Languages: german, english

Institution field	Value
Identifikationsnummer object id	C 4042
Titel designation	Gedenkkopf in Udo-Stil, Bronze
Materialien material	ANORGANISCH/Metall/Gelbguß
Heutiges Staatsgebiet des Herstellungsortes production place	Afrika/Westafrika/Nigeria/Benin-Reich
Provenienz/Name prior source provenance	Heemke
Provenienz Objektitinerar Akteure Orte Daten provenance	Adolf Heemke
Provenienz/Affiliation provenance	H. Bey & Co., Bey & Zimmer
Provenienz/Country provenance	Germany
Provenienz/Date of Birth provenance	8.10.1874
Provenienz/Date of Death provenance	unknown
Provenienz/First Name provenance	Adolf
Provenienz/No provenance	15
Provenienz/Place of Birth provenance	Geestemüde/Bremerhaven
Provenienz/Place of Death provenance	unknown
Provenienz/Profession provenance	Merchant
Provenienz/Role-Function/0 provenance	Consignor
Provenienz/Role-Function/1 provenance
Provenienz/Sex provenance	male
Provenienz/Short Biography provenance	Adolf Heemke (1874-?)was an overseas merchant and active as an agent for the trading company Bey & Zimmer in Nigeria. Today, works of art Heemke brought from Benin to Europe are still in collections in Stuttgart and Freiburg. In 1904, he sold ten Benin objects to the MARKK.
Provenienz/Street provenance	Große Bäckerstraße 24
Provenienz/Town provenance	Hamburg
Hersteller kulturhist. Herkunftsgesellschaft ethnic attribution	--/Edo
Heutiger Aufbewahrungsort Sammlung department and institution	Museum am Rothenbaum. Kulturen und Künste der Welt (MARKK)
Akquisitionsdatum accession date	1904
Alte Inventarnummer
Inventurdatum	28.07.2009
Label Text (deu)	Gedenkkopf im Udo-Stil Unbekannte Bronzegießerwerkstatt Udo, Königreich Benin (?), Nigeria, 16. Jh. / Gelbguss / Ankauf von Adolf Heemke, 1904, Inv. Nr. C 4042 Köpfe dieses Stils wurden nach ihrer Ankunft in europäischen Museen fälschlicherweise als Darstellung eines Mädchens oder Kindes interpretiert, stellen aber wohl Würdenträger dar. Sie stammen aus Udo, zwanzig Meilen nordwestlich von Benin City. Dort soll zur Zeit der „Benin-Expedition “ 1897 der Stadtoberste Bronze-Werke besessen haben, die zu einem großen Teil Plünderungen zum Opfer fielen. Von insgesamt 14 Udo Gedenkköpfen, die nach heutigem Wissenstand erhalten blieben, befinden sich zwei in nigerianischen Museumssammlungen wie auch einige Bronzefiguren in diesem Stil. Der Überlieferung zufolge gab es nach dem Tod von Oba Ozolua Nachfolgekämpfe zwischen seinen Söhnen Esigie und Arhuaran, welcher Fürst in Udo war. Im Zuge des Konfliktes ließ letzterer Bronzegießer nach Udo entführen, wo sie Werke für ihn schufen, bis sein Bruder Oba Esigie den Konflikt schließlich gewann.
Label Text (eng)	Commemorative Head in Udo-Style Unidentified brass casting workshop Udo, Benin Kingdom (?), Nigeria, 16th century / Brass / Acquired from Adolf Heemke, 1904, Inv. no. C 4042 Although misinterpreted as depicting a girl or child after their arrival in European museums, heads of this style most likely represent dignitaries. They originate from Udo, twenty miles northwest of Benin City. There, at the time of the “Benin Expedition ” in 1897, the ruler of the city is said to have owned bronze works, many of which fell victim to looting. Of the currently identified 14 remaining Udo commemorative heads, two are located in Nigerian museum collections along with bronze figures in this same style. According to oral tradition, after the death of Oba Ozolua, succession struggles ensued between his sons Esigie and Arhuaran, who was prince in Udo. During the conflict, the latter had bronze casters kidnapped to Udo, where they created works for him until his brother Oba Esigie finally achieved victory.
Maße	Höhe: 22,50 cm; Breite: 14,60 cm

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