Iconographies

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Ehẹn

Fish

See Ehẹn page

Ehẹn is a general term used to describe various types of fish (Ọbazee 2025, p. 90; ). Although mudfish are one of the most common motifs in Benin art, other kinds of fish are also represented. According to Blackmun ( ), a greater variety of fish are represented on the Aken'ni Elao (carved tusks) than on other types of royal artefacts. According to Kathy Curnow ( ), fish appear on 70 Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques), making them the most commonly represented animal. Despite their prevalence, the precise species of fish are not easy to identify due to their “generic renderings”, possibly indicating that artists did not always distinguish between specific varieties ( ). Fish are represented on the Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn both in profile and from above.

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Provenance

2 events

Commission

January 30, 1931

The object was commissioned by Unknown member(s) of the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn guild from Percy Horace Gordon Powell-Cotton through Alfred Holt and Company and Harry Maddocks in Benin City.

Donation

January 30, 1931 to 1932

The object was donated by Percy Horace Gordon Powell-Cotton to the Powell-Cotton Museum with its destination in Birchington-on-Sea.

Institution data

Powell-Cotton Museum

The data was transferred directly by the institution.

Last updated: 2021-11-03

Language: english

Institution field	Value
Accession Number object id	ETH.CAM2.962
Description description object type	Brass box, shaped like a fish, finished
Provenance Information provenance	Purchased on 30/01/1931 in Benin City
Additional Notes notes	See Diary entry for Percy Horace Powell-Cotton visit to Benin

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