Object Number
Ea7821
Edo designations
English designations
Commemorative Head
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Location
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Queens Rd, Bristol BS8 1RL, United Kingdom
Loading...
Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head

Iconographies

4 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
Beaded Crown
Ẹde
Beaded Crown

Although many other members of the Benin royal court wore a variety of hats and forms of headwear, only the Ọba may wear the Ẹde (beaded crown). The Ọba must never be seen bare-headed, and successive Ọbas introduced different styles and types of crowns ( ).

Across different media and objects, Ọbas are depicted wearing various types of crowns, all elaborately crafted from coral beads. Some feature tall projections rising from the crown, known as Oro, while others have curved projections extending from either side of the head, known as the winged cap. The latter was introduced only in the 19th century, most likely by Ọba Osẹmwẹndẹ ( ). Depictions of Ọba Esigie on Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques) show him wearing an elaborate crown decorated with large jasper or coral beads ( ).

1 annotation
Ẹde
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
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

Provenance

4 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.
Unknown
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to 1935
The object is known to have come into contact with Cranmore Ethnographical Museum and Harry Geoffrey Beasley, later in Chislehurst.
Exchange
1935
The object was exchanged between Cranmore Ethnographical Museum and the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery from Chislehurst to Bristol.

Institution data

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-01-18
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
Object Number
object id
Ea7821
Object Name
designation
object type
sculpture
Description
description
Cast ceremonial head of an Oba, from Benin City (Nigeria). Tusk holder. This head is hollow inside and was made using the 'lost-wax' process and would have been placed on an altar to an Oba. The head is shown wearing a coral head piece and beads around the collar. Coral was highly valued by the Edo people and was only worn by royalty. The heads would serve as mediums through which descendants could ask the spirits of their ancestors for the health and prosperity of the kingdom. Rites in honour of the past Oba were directed by special priests. The ancestral shrines were and still are situated in the king's Palace in Benin City (in current Nigeria). The metal of brass was highly valued by the Edo people, as it was rare and expensive. When new, it would have been red and shiny, symbolising royalty and beauty, but the metal also does not corrode or rust with time, signifying the continuity of the kingship. From the eigtheenth-nineteenth centuries, tusks were often placed on the ceremonial heads. This head probably dates from 1600-1800 AD. This object was given in exchange by Cranmore Ethnographical Museum, in Kent for a Raratongan head dress, from the Cook Islands, of which Bristol had two. This head may have arrived in Europe as a result of the British 'Punitive ', in 1897, when the British destroyed the Oba's palace and looted a large amount of Beninese art and took it to Britain. Much of the material ended up on the European art market and in European museum collections.
Associated Date
date made
1897
Date of Production
date made
1701-1900
Locality
production place
Benin City, Nigeria, West Africa, Africa
Associated Event
provenance
event
Punitive to Benin
Cultural Group
ethnic attribution
Edo
Reference
bibliography
[Citation] Bristol & Transatlantic Slavery. 63.
Associated Place
Benin City, Nigeria, West Africa, Africa
Collection
Ethnography
Current Location
On Display at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Curiosity
Sensitive Content

Digital Benin collates digital material from institutions, and some of this material is inherently colonial and contains words, terms and phrases that are inaccurate, derogatory and harmful towards African and African diasporic communities. Catalogue transcriptions, book titles, exhibition titles and museum titles may contain harmful terms. We recognise the potential for the material to cause physical and mental distress as well as evoke strong emotions. Owing to the scale of the collection’s data, a process to implement sensitive-content warnings in the displayed data is still incomplete. The material within the catalogue does not represent Digital Benin’s views. Digital Benin maintains a strong anti-colonial, anti-racist position and affirms its support for centring the humanity of historically marginalised and disenfranchised communities. Read more about the background of this statement here