idno
1950.266 B
Edo designations
English designations
Udo-Style Head
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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Udo-Style Head
Udo-Style Head
Udo-Style Head
Udo-Style Head
Udo-Style Head
Udo-Style Head

Iconographies

2 annotations
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

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
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to 1901
The object is known to have come into contact with William Downing Webster, later in Bicester.
Purchase
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to 1901
The object was purchased by Frederick William Green from William Downing Webster from Bicester to Cambridge.
Bequest
1950
The object was bequeathed by Frederick William Green to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge in Cambridge.
Restitution
February 8, 2026
The object was restituted by the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge to the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria from Cambridge to Nigeria.

Institution data

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-07-18
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
idno
object id
1950.266 B
local
edo designation
Physical description/0
description
Catalogue card for 1950.266 A-B notes 'Two female heads, apparently tusk-holders, with many-stringed necklaces, of bronze.'
Physical description/1
description
Physical description/2
description
Physical description/3
description
Physical description/4
description
d_Description Name
description
Bronze female head, used as a tusk holder, cast in the Udo style
height
dimensions
212 mm
length
dimensions
166 mm
width
dimensions
150 mm
weight
weight
4.8 kg
Inscription
inscriptions
Labels - Markings/0
inscriptions
Labels - Markings/1
inscriptions
Labels - Markings/2
inscriptions
Labels - Markings/3
inscriptions
Labels - Markings/4
inscriptions
Labels - Markings/5
inscriptions
period
date made
15th - 16th century
maker
producer
?Igun Eronmwon (royal guild of brass casters)
d_Place
production place
Africa; West Africa; Nigeria; [Kingdom of Benin]; Edo State; Benin City; Oba’s Palace
Other owners
prior source
source
prior source
Green, Frederick William [donor]; ?Benin [?collector]
Collection or Excavation Year
date collected
1897
culture group
ethnic attribution
Edo
source date
accession date
1950
Amendments - updates/0
notes
Bequeathed by Frederick William Green (1869-1949), Honorary Keeper of Antiquities at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge from 1908 to 1949. There is no documentation on Green's acquisition but it is typical of the ‘bronzes’ looted as part of the Benin , 1897. Some objects retain the white sale numbers which can be connected to the sales of dealer William Webster. Webster has therefore been added to the source field where known with queries to indicate the lack of available data for a definite provenance
Amendments - updates/1
notes
Amendments - updates/2
notes
Amendments - updates/3
notes
Amendments - updates/4
notes
Exhibition/0
exhibition history
Exhibition/1
exhibition history
Reference Numbers
bibliography
1950.266 B
References/0
bibliography
Catalogue to the exhibition: Ebin, V. and Swallow, D. A. (1984) The Proper Study of Mankind: Great Anthropological Collections in Cambridge. Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
References/0 2
bibliography
References/1
bibliography
Related Documents/0
bibliography
Catalogue card reads, in blue ink: "50.266 A/B | Africa | Nigeria / Two female heads, apparently tusk-holders, with many-stringed necklaces, of bronze / A. 9 ins high. / B. 8 [ins high]. / Benin. / F.W. Green bequest." In second hand, blue ink: [below "Benin"] "Note: W.B. Fagg says that these are a local style, from UDO, + may not be female." In third hand, black ink: [beside measurements for A] "[Exchanged with British Museum]" In fourth hand, black ink at bottom of card: "-Centenary Exhibition" Two circular red stickers, on top right and bottom left of card.
Related Documents/1
bibliography
Related Documents/2
bibliography
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bibliography
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bibliography
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bibliography
Related Documents/6
bibliography
Acquisition Details/0
Acquisition Details/1
Acquisition Details/2
Analysis/0
In January 2017, Prof. Marcos Martinon-Torres and Agnese Benzonelli, UCL Institute of Archaeology, tested this idno using a portable XRF as part of a programme of base metal analysis of Benin material. This object was tested twice and the results are as follows: 1) Cu: 88.83%; Zn: 3.82%; Sn: 3.49%; Pb: 2.36%. 2) Cu: 88.42%; Zn: 3.72%; Sn: 3.50%; Pb: 2.81%. It was noted as Dark 6, Willett 3 but a low Zn reading and a high Sn reading may be Willett 2. According to Willett this would date to 15th-16th century but according to Riederer this would probably date to the end of the 16th century.
Analysis/1
Archaeology
Auction - Sale/0
Auction - Sale/1
CMS Context/0
CMS Description
Catalogue
Display/0
Part of MAA's Centenary Exhibition, held in the Adeane gallery, at the Fitzwilliam Museum, 12 March- 6 May 1984, and the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts, Norwich, 2 July- 16 September 1984.
Display/1
Exhibited in the Benin case, Andrews Gallery, 20 March 2017- present.
Display/2
Display/3
Field_collection/0
Field_collection/1
Found_together - assemblage
Freezing
Online Only
Other/0
Other/1
Production - use
Catalogue card for 1950.266 A-B notes "W.B. Fagg says that these are a local style, from UDO, and may not be female".
Remedial/0
Remedial/1
Surface Clean
unknown
Sensitive Content

Digital Benin collates digital material from institutions, and some of this material is inherently colonial and contains words, terms and phrases that are inaccurate, derogatory and harmful towards African and African diasporic communities. Catalogue transcriptions, book titles, exhibition titles and museum titles may contain harmful terms. We recognise the potential for the material to cause physical and mental distress as well as evoke strong emotions. Owing to the scale of the collection’s data, a process to implement sensitive-content warnings in the displayed data is still incomplete. The material within the catalogue does not represent Digital Benin’s views. Digital Benin maintains a strong anti-colonial, anti-racist position and affirms its support for centring the humanity of historically marginalised and disenfranchised communities. Read more about the background of this statement here