Catalogue
irn
106842
Institution
National Gallery of Australia
Edo designations
English designations
Udo-Style Head
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Location
Parkes Pl E, Parkes ACT 2600, Australia

Iconographies

1 annotations
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

5 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
1910 (approximate) to 1959
The object is known to have come into contact with Jacob Epstein, later in London.
Unknown
1959 (uncertain/approximate) to July 8, 1980
The object is known to have come into contact with Adolph Schwartz, later in Amsterdam.
Auction
July 8, 1980
The object was auctioned to the National Gallery of Australia by Adolph Schwartz through Sotheby's in London.

Related archival documents

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Date

Institution data

National Gallery of Australia
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2021-10-26
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
irn
object id
106842
Main Title
designation
object type
Head in the Udo style
Materials and Technique
material
cast brass with iron (?) inlay
Dimensions
dimensions
23.8 x 16.0 x 16.0 x cm
Date Created
date made
late 16th century
Creators
producer
Bini people
Place Of Creation
production place
Nigeria
Provenance
provenance
collection of Jacob Epstein (1880–1959); collection of A. Schwarz, Amsterdam; at auction, Sotheby's London, 8 July 1980; when bought by the Australian National Gallery, Canberra, July 1980 The collecting history of this work of art is partial. Its location and ownership are unknown between its creation and entering Epstein's collection. The National Gallery of Australia welcomes further information regarding its history of ownership prior to 1980.
Credit Line
accession date
Purchased 1980
Exhibited
exhibition history
Arts Council of Great Britain, London 1967; Zurich 1970; In Our Own Image: Figurative Sculpture from the National Gallery of Australia [NGA Travelling Exhibition], 27 April 1994–23 June 1995; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, December
Literature
bibliography
Felix von Luschan, Die Altertümer von Benin, Berlin and Leipzig: De Gruyter 1919 (reprinted New York: Hacker Art Books 1968), vol.3, rf pl.57, illus. b&w as ‘koepfe von kindren’; Akitola Akpata, ‘Benin: notes on altars and bronze heads’ and ‘Bronze head and ring: A suggestion,’ Ethnologia Cramoresis #1, 1937; Elsy Leuzinger, The Art of , London: Studio Vista 1972, K29, pp.168–69, illus. b&w, as ‘collection: A Schwartz, Amsterdam’; Eliot Elisofun and William Fagg, The Sculpture of Africa, New York: Hacker Art Books 1958 (reprinted 1978), cat.158–59, illus. b&w p.127 as ‘Memorial head’ and p.255 as ‘J J Klejman Gallery, New York’; Works of Art from Benin, Sotheby’s, London, 16 June 1980, lot 9, pp.24–25, illus.; Ekpo Eyo and Frank Willett, Treasures of ancient Nigeria, New York: Knopf 1980
Accession Number
803674
Sensitive Content

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