Iconographies

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Ẹkpẹn

Leopard

See Ẹkpẹn page

The Ẹkpẹn (leopard) is an animal that appears most often among the motifs decorating the Emwin Arhe (royal treasures). The Ẹkpẹn symbolises the valour and strength of the Ọba, as well as his political authority. The Benin people eulogise the Ọba as the ‘ẹkpẹn n'owa’ (leopard of the home).

When a hunter kills a leopard, he must say “ẹkpẹn n'oha” (I killed a bush leopard), as it is taboo to say that a hunter killed a leopard without specifying that it is a bush leopard, as otherwise this would “be tantamount to symbolically killing the king” (Nevadomsky 1988, p. 81). For this reason, leopards of the bush are called Atalakpa to distinguish them from those that represent the Ọba.

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Provenance

6 events

Production

1500 (year approximate) 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 William Alexander Crawford Cockburn from Benin Kingdom.

Purchase

June 18, 1897

The object was purchased by the British Museum from William Alexander Crawford Cockburn with its destination in London.

Exhibition

1970 to 1973

The object was exhibited at London.

Exhibition

February 1, 1991 to April 30, 1991

The object was exhibited at Norwich.

Exhibition

sometime in 1993 to sometime in 1997

The object was exhibited at London.

Institution data

British Museum

The data was transferred directly by the institution.

Last updated: 2025-06-10

Language: english

Institution field	Value
Registration number object id	Af1897,-.498
Additional IDs object id	Af1897C3.498 (old CDMS no.)
PRN object id	EAF14460
Object Type designation	bell
Description description	Bell; lost-wax cast in brass. Quadrangular in form with slightly flaring sides and strap handle. Decorated on front panel with leopard's face in low relief with background of concentric arches and stippling. Side panels have angled interlace patterns with stippling, back panel has lozenge pattern with inset circular wheels. Each panel bordered by plaitwork. Iron clapper suspended from hole at top.
Ethnic name (made by) ethnic attribution	Edo
Date	18thC (circa)
Production place production place	Made in: Benin City
Findspot place collected	Found/Acquired: Benin City
Materials material	brass ~iron
Technique production technique	lost-wax cast
Dimensions dimensions	Height: 21.10 cm~Width: 11.20 cm~Depth: 12.80 cm~Weight: 1528.00 g
Inscription inscriptions	Inscription:~ Inscription details: inscription (label on back panel) in English~ Inscription quoted: 97-498. Benin City. C.F. 18 June 1897. Cockburn.~ Inscription note: Registration number. Findspot. Christy Fund. Date of acquisition. Name of vendor.
Curator’s comments provenance	Read & Dalton 1899: Bell of cast brass, square in form, with flat loop handle; each face has a design produced by means of a punch; the front has a scale pattern, with a leopard's face in relief in the middle. On the two sides is a trellis pattern, and on the back a lozenge design with rosettes; raised borders; iron clapper. The workmanship and style of this bell are both very poor, and it is inserted as showing how inferior is the comparatively recent Benin metal work.
Bibliographic references bibliography	Barley 2010: p.65, fig. 43~Read & Dalton 1899: pl VI.9
Exhibition history exhibition history	Exhibited: 1970-1973, London, Museum of Mankind, Divine Kingship in Africa 1991 Feb-Apr, Norwich, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Man and Metal in Ancient Nigeria 1993-1997, London, Museum of Mankind, Great Benin: a West African Kingdom
Condition condition	Good; burnt in casting repairs on back panel of bell.
Associated events event	Associated Event: British Expedition to Benin City - Feb 1897
Acquisition name (acquisition) provenance	Major William Alexander Crawford Cockburn
Acquisition name (excavator) provenance	Field Collection by: Major William Alexander Crawford Cockburn
Acquisition date accession date	18 June 1897
Acquisition notes (acquisition) provenance	The vendor served as Deputy Chief of Staff on the British expedition to Benin City, 1897.
Acquisition notes (excavation) provenance	Af1897,-.498 to 563 were all purchased from Captain Crawford Cockburn and all are recorded as coming from the 'Benin City Expedition 1897'. This bell was looted from Benin City in 1897. The vendor served as Deputy Chief of Staff during the British Expedition to Benin City.

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