Catalogue
Reg No.
III 2594
Institution
Museum der Kulturen Basel
Edo designations
English designations
Leopard Figure
Categories
Figures
Location
Münsterpl. 20, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
Leopard Figure

Iconographies

1 annotations
Ẹkpẹn
Leopard

The Ẹkpẹn (leopard) is an animal that appears most often among the motifs decorating the Emwin Arhe (royal treasures). The Ẹkpẹn symbolises the valour and strength of the Ọba, as well as his political authority. The Benin people eulogise the Ọba as the ‘ẹkpẹn n'owa’ (leopard of the home).

When a hunter kills a leopard, he must say “ẹkpẹn n'oha” (I killed a bush leopard), as it is taboo to say that a hunter killed a leopard without specifying that it is a bush leopard, as otherwise this would “be tantamount to symbolically killing the king” (Nevadomsky 1988, p. 81). For this reason, leopards of the bush are called Atalakpa to distinguish them from those that represent the Ọba.

1 annotation
Ẹkpẹn

Provenance

4 events
Production
unknown to 1907
The object was produced by Unknown member(s) of the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn guild in Benin City.
Purchase
unknown to 1907
The object was purchased by Hans Ernst Barth in Lagos.
Unknown
1907
The object is known to have come into contact with Karl Friedrich 'Fritz' Sarasin.
Gift
1907
The object was given as a gift by Karl Friedrich 'Fritz' Sarasin to the Museum der Kulturen Basel with its destination in Basel.

Related archival documents

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Date
Date

Institution data

Museum der Kulturen Basel
The data was transferred directly through the Swiss Benin Initiative.
Last updated: 2022-07-04
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
Reg No.
object id
III 2594
Object name and materials
designation
Leopard
Material
material
brass
Dimension/s
dimensions
H. 15 cm W. 6.5 cm L. 20 cm
Provisional dating
date made
16th-19th century
Creditline
prior source
Gift from: Fritz Sarasin
Provenances
provenance
16th/19th century (?), possiby commissioned from the Royal Bronze-casting Guild (Igun Eronmwon) by the Royal Palace of Benin; [...]; 1897, possibly looted from Benin City during the military occupation of Benin; unknown date, purchased from a Benin Chief in Lagos by Hans Ernst Barth (1861-1920); 1907, gifted to the Museum der Kulturen Basel by Fritz Sarasin (1859-1942)
Institution
department and institution
MKB Museum der Kulturen Basel
Institution acquisition date
accession date
1907
Additional IDs
Sensitive Content

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