The Isẹ vbe ẹigho is a type of proclamation staff held by the Ọba during the two main annual ceremonies in the Edo calendar: Igue and Ugie Erha Ọba. Its form resembles that of the Ẹgogo (gong), but it has a longer handle and a distinctive horizontal cross at the base of the V-shaped upper section. In depictions on Emwin Arre (royal treasures), the Ọba alone carries the Isẹ vbe ẹigho, usually in his left hand, while holding the Ebẹn (ceremonial sword) in his right. Such representations appear on carved wooden Agba (ceremonial stools), Aken'ni Elao (carved ivory tusks), and cast-brass representations of the Ọba.

The staff is emblematic of the Ọba’s power and authority (Ben-Amos Girschick 2007, p. 158; ). Together with the coral-beaded regalia worn during these ceremonies, the Isẹ vbe ẹigho is understood to confer upon the Ọba the power to swear oaths and pronounce curses.

A variety of different kinds of Ahianmwẹ (birds) were depicted by artists from the palace guilds on royal artefacts over the centuries. The precise identification and interpretation of these birds, and the meanings attributed to them, vary. Some of the most commonly depicted are the Akala (white-backed vulture), Oɛɣohɔ (vulturine fish eagle), and Esughusughu (owl).

The Akala is usually depicted on top of Osogan, potent staffs kept by priests for the worship of Osun. Its ewawa (beak) is associated with the azen (witches), and the Akala is associated with “death, abandonment, morbidity, and spoils” ( ). The Oɛɣohɔ is known as the “king of the day birds,” and its feathers are often worn by chiefs in their headwear as symbols of respected old age and proper chieftaincy ( ).

The Umozo is a type of sword with a short, broad, and curved single-edged blade that was used by warriors during warfare (Bradbury 1973, p. 260; Osadolor 2001, p. 109). According to Benson Osadolor (2001, p. 109), it is remembered in Benin City as one of the oldest kinds of weapons used in warfare and “was better for the attack than defence”.

Ema Ẹdo (Emedo) is the ‘drum of the Benin people’, made from either cowhide or leopard skin (ohian ema) and a cylindrical wooden body (erhan ema). These drums are beaten with Ukeke (strikers), the hands, or a combination of both during festivals and ceremonies ( ; ).