Inventarisnummer
RV-1243-18
Edo designations
English designations
Relief Plaque
Categories
Palace Architecture & Ornamentation
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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Iconographies

4 annotations
Agbada
Sword

Agbada is a type of short sword with a double-edged blade, used by warriors in hand-to-hand combat ( ; ; Ọbazee 2025, p. 10). Warrior figures carrying Agbada are often depicted on the Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques), both in scenes of combat and in ceremonial contexts.

1 annotation
Agbada
Igan
Feather

Igan (feathers) are commonly depicted tucked into the headdresses and hats of chiefs represented on Emwin Arre (royal treasures). These feathers are from the Oɛɣohɔ (vulturine fish eagle) and symbolise respected old age and proper chieftaincy ( ).

1 annotation
Igan
leopard teeth
Akọn Ẹkpen
Leopard Teeth Neck Ornament

Akọn Ẹkpẹn are necklaces or neck ornaments made of strung leopard’s teeth. They are worn by figures to signify their high rank and military prowess, as well as by their leaders, the Ezọmọ or Iyasẹ. They are often worn alongside quadrangular Ẹroro (bells) and Ohian Ẹkpẹn (leopard tunics).

The Akọn Ẹkpẹn is clearly and profoundly related to the symbolism of the Ẹkpẹn (leopard) and its association with the Ọba (king), who is metaphorically referred to as ‘ẹkpẹn ne owa’, the ‘leopard of the home’. On the other hand, the Ẹkpẹn is often referred to as the ‘king of the bush’, embodying ferocity, aggression, strength, and leadership—qualities attributed to the Ọba (Nevadomsky 1988). This intricate link between the leopard, the monarch, and his military leaders reinforces the complex hierarchy and spiritual authority central to Benin’s courtly art.

1 annotation
Akọn Ẹkpen
Water fern
Ebe Amẹ
Water Fern

Ebe Amẹ refers to a wide variety of plants, particularly the leaves of the water fern or river leaf, found in riverine areas of southern Nigeria ( ). Artists from the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn used these as a decorative motif in the background of most Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques). The petals of the Ebe Amẹ, like the points of the ἀghàdàgháda (crossroads), represent the four cardinal directions: north, east, south, and west. The number four plays a foundational role in the Edo calendar, which is structured around four market days ( ).

1 annotation
Ebe Amẹ

Provenance

5 events
Production
1504 (approximate) to 1550 (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.
Auction
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to December 7, 1899
The object was auctioned to William Downing Webster through Stevens Auction Rooms in London.
Purchase
February 1900
The object was purchased by the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen and Wereldmuseum from William Downing Webster through Johannes Dietrich Eduard Schmeltz, Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia van Waldeck-Pyrmont from London 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

3 documents
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Date
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-1243-18
Objectnaam
designation
object type
Reliëfplaat
Titel
designation
object type
Reliëfplaat met hofdignitaris
Associatie/beschrijving (online getoond)
description
Reliëfplaat met afbeelding van een krijger in wapenrusting; hij draagt een ringbaard en houdt in zijn handen een ceremonieel zwaard, een rechthoekig voorwerp (mogelijk een zwaardschede), boog en ronde bel. De pilaren van het paleis van de koning, de Oba,
Materiaal en techniek (NB: ook thesaurustermen aanpassen!)
material
Brons ; verlorenwastechniek
Afmetingenlabel (H x B x D)
dimensions
45 x 20,5 cm 45 x 21,5 x 7,5 cm
Datering
date made
17e eeuw
Verzamelgeschiedenis (toelichting)
provenance
The acquisition of 53 Benin objects (RV-1243-1 to -46 and RV-1295-2 to -7) from William Downing Webster (1868-1913), a British ethnographic art dealer and collector, known to have assembled a large collection from the Benin military campaign of 1897, is characterised by budgeting issues (Waterfield & King 2006: 55-63). When Johannes Schmeltz received a first letter from Webster on 7 December 1899 with a list of Benin objects offered for sale, he realised it would need fundraising on his part to acquire this important collection (NL-LdnRMV-A1-30-542/545). Schmeltz managed to secure funds from, amongst others, Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, Queen Wilhelmina, and the Queen Mother, Princess Emma van Waldeck-Pyrmont. The Queen Mother’s secretary sent a letter to Schmeltz confirming the donation for the purchase of the Benin objects on 8 June 1900 (NL-LdnRMV-A1-31-344/345; CL-L: Nl- LdnRMV_A01_277_00109; AR-L 1899-1900: 13; MR-L: NL-LdnRMV_A03_007_0237). All the financial donors were listed in the Nederlandsche Staatscourant, the Dutch national state newspaper on 25 April 1902. While on 16 February 1900 Schmeltz writes to Webster that he wants ‘the greatest part’ of the objects offered to him but that he has not yet found the money to pay for them (NL-LdnRMV-A1-210-531/534), the first purchase of 30 objects was confirmed in the day book on 26 February 1900 and included one object from the Admiralty Islands (DB-L: NL-LdnRMV-A3-7-237). In a letter to Schmeltz dated 17 February 1900, Webster includes a newspaper clipping mentioning that he bought the objects at the J.C. Stevens auction. By doing this, he also gives evidence of the current prices of Benin objects (NL-LdnRMV-A1-31-505/506). This plaque was sold for 17.17 GBP (ca. 1,946 by current standards). All the objects that had been sent to the Netherlands for viewing and had not been selected were sent back. Also, some of the objects were first registered as loans, allowing Schmeltz to secure the funds to buy them as they were considered important: ‘From the objects still on loan some deserve to be mentioned here already as especially noteworthy.’ Two men, Elco M. Vis and R. Langenbach enabled the procurement of some loan objects: ‘Because of the gentlemen Elco M. Vis in Amsterdam and R. Langenbach in Worms, yours truly was able to once more purchase one of the objects on loan from the Kingdom of Benin [serie 1243].’ The plates in the annual report show that Schmeltz, used the donations to acquire Webster collections (series RV-1243) and Umlauff collections (series RV-1286, series RV-1310) as the money became available, irrespective of which artworks he had received on view first. (Excerpt from Provenance no. 2 'The Benin collections at the National Museum of World Cultures' written by Rosalie Hans with Annette Schmidt, 05-01-2021)
Cultuur (NB: ook thesaurusterm aanpassen!)
ethnic attribution
Bini
Deelcollectie
department and institution
Materiële cultuurcollectie
Verwervingsdatum
accession date
1900-02-01
Wijze van verwerving
accession method
Aankoop
Literatuur
bibliography
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: 14 en 162. Marquart, J., 'Die Benin-Sammlung des Reichsmuseums für Völkerkunde in Leiden'. Veroffentlichungen des Reichsmuseums für Völkerkunde in Leiden. Serie II nr. 7. Leiden: Brill, 1913. 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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