Iconographies

1 annotations

Iyeọkhọkhọ

Hen

See Iyeọkhọkhọ page

The Iyeọkhọkhọ (hen figures) are used by chiefs and commoners on female altars. These differ from cast brass or bronze Ọkporhu, which are only to be used on royal ancestral altars for the Iy’Ọba.

Iyeọkhọkhọ are carved in wood and usually depicted with a plump body and stylised motifs to represent the feathers. They are often painted, and on some occasions brass sheeting is overlaid on the surface. According to Seige (in Plankensteiner, 2007, p.412[17]), hens ‘symbolise maternal care and love, in particular they protect the chicks by spreading their wings over them’.

1 annotation

Provenance

3 events

Production

unknown to February 22, 1897 (day approximate)

The object was produced by Unknown member(s) of the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn guild.

Unknown

February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to 1958

The object is known to have come into contact with Okiboro Ajaboro, later in Okitipupa.

Purchase

1958

The object was purchased by the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria from Okiboro Ajaboro from Okitipupa to Lagos.

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 field	Value
Inventory number object id	LG1958.13.1
URL weblink	https://digitalbenin.org/catalogue/37_LG1958131
Object Description description	The Iyeọkhọkhọ (hen figures) are used by chiefs and commoners on female altars. These differ from cast brass or bronze Ọkporhu, which are only to be used on royal ancestral altars for the Iy’Ọba. Iyeọkhọkhọ are carved in wood and usually depicted with a plump body and stylised motifs to represent the feathers. They are often painted, and on some occasions brass sheeting is overlaid on the surface. According to Seige (in Plankensteiner, 2007, p.412), hens ‘symbolise maternal care and love, in particular they protect the chicks by spreading their wings over them’.
Diameter dimensions
Dimension L (cm) dimensions	20.0
Dimension W (cm) dimensions	10.5
Dimension H (cm) dimensions	17.0
Brief Object Description designation	Bird Figure
Material material	brass
Object Count object count	1
Date Made date made
Associated Guild producer
Production Technique production technique
Production Place production place
Inscriptions inscriptions
Note
Inventory Book Description	Article brought to the Museum for sale by Okiboro Ajaboro (native of Azirigi, Okitipupa).
fileNames	LG1958131_1.jpg, LG1958131_4.jpg, LG1958131_2.jpg, LG1958131_6.jpg, LG1958131_5.jpg, LG1958131_7.jpg, LG1958131_8.jpg, LG1958131_3.jpg

Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria

The data was transferred directly from the institution and transcribed by the Digital Benin from Inventory book.

Last updated: 2021-02-19

Language: english

Institution field	Value
Inventory No object id	LG 1958. 13. 1
Department of Antiquities Nigerian Museum Catalogue provenance
Object Name (as specified in the 2019 Lagos National Museum store/gallery inventory)	Benin bronze lided bird (pigeon) on a base.

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