Catalog Number
79:6:50
Edo designations
English designations
Firearm
Categories
Weaponry
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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Provenance

1 events
Unknown
1979
The object is known to have come into contact with the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria, in Benin City.

Institution data

Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria
The data was transferred directly by the institution and digitized by Digital Benin in collaboration with the NCMM
Last updated: 2023-11-30
Languages: english, bini; edo
Institution fieldValue
Catalog Number
object id
79:6:50
URL
weblink
https://digitalbenin.org/catalogue/36_79650
Dimension H (cm)
dimensions
2.0
Dimension W (cm)
dimensions
5.0
Dimension L (cm)
dimensions
32
Material
material
Wood; Rope; Rod
Description
description
Osisi (gun) and Etu (canon) are both types of firearms. Although the Portuguese developed trade and alliances with Benin Kingdom from the late fifteenth century onwards, a papal ban on the sale of firearms to non-Christian peoples prevented firearms being sold to the Ọba (Ryder, 1969, p.41). Despite this prohibition, some firearms did make their way to Benin Kingdom by the end of sixteenth century, and as other European powers such as the Dutch traded with the Ọba, different firearms were acquired. Although early forms were large breech-loading guns or cannons, over time matchlock and flintlock guns became available (Osadolor, 2001, p.157). Most of these firearms were produced in Europe, however one bears a stamp indicating it was made in Asia. Then, in the eighteenth century, under the command of the Ọba, guns started to be produced locally by the Igun-Ematon (Osadolor, 2001, p.158).
Object count
object count
1
Associated Guild
producer
Igbesamwan, Igun Ematon
Production Technique
production technique
Carving, Smithing
Production Place
production place
Benin City
P.N.
object id
Diameter
dimensions
Title
designation
Date Made
date made
Inscription
inscriptions
fileNames
79-6-50.jpg
Sensitive Content

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