Inventarisnummer
RV-1164-4
Edo designations
English designations
Commemorative Head
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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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

5 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.
Transfer
January 1898
The object was transferred to the MKG Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe through British and African Steam Navigation Company and Justus Brinckmann from Nigeria to Hamburg.
Purchase
March 28, 1898
The object was purchased by the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen and Wereldmuseum from the MKG Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe through Justus Brinckmann from Hamburg to Leiden.
Restitution
June 21, 2025
The object was restituted by the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen and Wereldmuseum to the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria through Olugbile Holloway and Eppo Bruins from Netherlands to Nigeria.

Related archival documents

2 documents
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Date
Date

Institution data

Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen and Wereldmuseum
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-07-19
Language: dutch
Institution fieldValue
Inventarisnummer
object id
RV-1164-4
Objectnaam
designation
object type
Beeld / hoofd (figuurvoorstelling)
Titel
designation
object type
Hoofd van een Oba
Associatie/beschrijving (online getoond)
description
Gestileerde beeltenis van een koning, een Oba, met cylindervormige kralen halskraag en ronde muts van netvormig verwerkte kralen. Vanonder de muts komen 22 strengen langwerpige kralen en drie vlechten uit. In het gezicht, vlak boven de ogen, bevinden zich
Materiaal en techniek (NB: ook thesaurustermen aanpassen!)
material
Messing of brons ; verlorenwastechniek
Afmetingenlabel (H x B x D)
dimensions
24,2 cm 17,5 cm (6 7/8 in.) 24,2 x 20 x 22,8 cm
Datering
date made
1600-1750
Verzamelgeschiedenis (toelichting)
provenance
'In 1898 Museum Volkenkunde acquired fourteen artworks (RV-1163 and RV-1164 series) through the intermediary of the German lawyer Justus Brinckmann (1853-1915) who was the founding director of the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg, which was established in 1877. Letters from 14 March and 29 March 1898 confirm the offer of 11 of the fourteen pieces from the Hamburg Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe run by Brinckmann (NL-LdnRMV-A1-26-63/65, NL-LdnRMV-A1-26-66). On 25 March 1898 Museum Volkenkunde received a letter in which Brinckmann is referenced. It came from the trading company Bey and Co., also known as Bey & Zimmer and stationed on the Nigerian coast (fig. 2). The trading company wanted to sell three Benin bronzes, one cockerel, one head, and a waist pendant (NL-LdnRMV-A1-26-29).' 'The next letter from Bey and Co. on 29 March 1898 states that the three offered Benin bronzes will cost fl. 450. The company asks for immediate payment ‘because we have to sell the things for the account of a gentleman in Africa.’ Brinckmann thus connected the then director of Museum Volkenkunde, Schmeltz, to Bey & Co. Predating the trading company letter, Brinckmann already advised on 14 March 1898, to make direct contact with Bey & Co because, in contrast to the rest of the objects he offers (series RV-1164), these three bronzes do not belong to the Hamburg Museum (NL-LdnRMV-A1-26-63/65, NL-LdnRMV-A1-26-66). Brinckmann remarks that the smaller chest ornament (RV-1163-3) is ‘very noteworthy (fig. 5). The bronze cockerel (RV-1163-1) is described as ‘one large bronze cockerel, which probably served as decoration at the top of the roof of an important person.’' 'The day book, the museum register and the annual report confirm that the three bronze objects (RV-1163-1, 2, 3) and the eleven Hamburg Museum objects (RV-1164-1 to RV-1164-11) were sent to Museum Volkenkunde as one batch and arrived from Hamburg on 28 March 1898 (DB-L: LdnRMV_A03_007_0211, MR-L: NL-LdnRMV_A03_045_0044, LdnRMV_A03_045_0045; AR-L 1897-1898: 19-20). The acquisition happened ‘as a result of the friendly intervention of Prof. Dr J. Brinckmann, Director of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg.’' A number of letters were exchanged between 13 January 1898 to 20 June 1898 about the objects. Brinckmann writes to Schmeltz on 20 January 1898 and the transcription is provided in the chapter ‘Die Bronzen aus Benin: Herkunft und Geschichte’ written by Silke Reuther: 'From Benin quite a few good pieces have arrived for us today by steamer of the Engl. Africa Line. We now have more than I and Dr. Hagen need. Let me know how much money you can make available. Then I will make you an offer and send the items or photographs for inspection. A large rooster, a head, one or two plates appear to be deliverable and some small bronzes. Let me know your opinion soon, otherwise I intend to go to Vienna.' (Reuther 2018: 39). The pieces Brinckmann intended to sell had arrived on the steamship Sherbro in the harbour of Hamburg in January. As Reuther (2018: 36) elaborates, the ship belonged to the British and African Steam Navigation Company from Liverpool which shipped numerous pieces from Benin City to Hamburg on their service between West Africa and Hamburg. The Lagerbuch, or stock ledger, in which Brinckmann as an intermediary kept track of his acquisitions and sales of Benin artworks, shows that Ernst Heinz, most probably a crew member of the S.S. Sherbro, sold a bronze head to Brinckmann. It seems possible this head (possibly RV-1164-2) was later purchased by Museum Volkenkunde (Reuther 2018: 36; Lagerbuch 1897-1900 MKG Hamburg). On 18 February 1898, the Lagerbuch lists pieces that Brinckmann got from Albert Thomsen, who Reuther (2018: 40) describes as a ship chandler who had excellent contacts with all ships in the harbour and probably traded as a middleman. Seven of these items are marked as having been sold to Leiden. The handwritten Lagerbuch does not allow for further identification of which objects in the RV-1164 series came from Thomsen. (MKG Archiv, Ausländ 15. Mus., 1883-1958, L, Leiden, Ethnograph. Mus./Rijksmus.). (Excerpt from Provenance no.2 'The Benin Collection at the National Museum of World Cultures' written by Rosalie Hans with Annette Schmidt' 11-01-2021)
Cultuur (NB: ook thesaurusterm aanpassen!)
ethnic attribution
Bini
Deelcollectie
department and institution
Materiële cultuurcollectie
Verwervingsdatum
accession date
1898-03-01
Wijze van verwerving
accession method
Aankoop
Literatuur
bibliography
Zie gerelateerde literatuur en onderstaande literatuur Ezra, K., 'Royal Art of Benin; the Perls collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art'. New York, 1992.
Publicaties over het object
bibliography
Bedaux, R.M.A. 1990 De geschiedenis van de Leidse Benin-verzameling. In: A. Duchâteau, Benin: vroege hofkunst uit Afrika. Brussel: 39 en 161. Dongen, P.L.F. van, M. Forrer & W.R. van Gulik (eds.) 1987 Topstukken uit het Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde. Schulze, Sabine und Silke Reuter, 'Raubkunst? Die Bronzen aus Benin im Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg', 2018, p.62r Leiden: 170-171. Geïllustreerd in: Gids voor het Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde te Leiden. Leiden 1961, fig. 31; Marquart, J., Die Benin-Sammlung des Reichsmuseums für Volkerkunde in Leiden. Leiden 1913, Pl. 1, fig. 4; Schwarz, A., 'Tweeduizend jaar kunst in Nigeria', in: Verre naasten naderbij, 3 (1969), no. 2, p. 44. Wijs, Sonja: Van ruilen komt huilen – een historische overdracht. In: Jaarboek 6 van de Vereniging Vrienden Etnografica (2018), p.100-119 For more information about the provenance, see <a href="https://issuu.com/tropenmuseum/docs/2021_provenance_2__benin__e-book" target="_blank"> Provenance #2 – the Benin collections at the National Museum of World Cultures </a> (NB: Issuu uses cookies).
Objectstatus
legal status
Eigendom
Met dank aan (online getoond)
Periode (NB: ook thesaurusterm aanpassen!)
Benin
Verkorte naam
AFRIK
Sensitive Content

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