Ẹrhẹ

Ẹrhẹ are round stools with two intertwined serpents as the supporting column. Aside the two serpents, which point in two different directions (up and down), other creatures such as frogs, leopards, roosters and human figures are seen on these stools. The Obah n’uhi pattern of design (which has no beginning or end) is seen at the top of these stools, which shows the supremacy of the Ọba (king/emperor). These are ceremonial stools used by the Benin chiefs when performing rituals in ancestral shrines. According to oral tradition, Ogiso Ẹrhẹ was the first to use a throne.

In Benin Kingdom, there are two different kinds of stools with ceremonial and ritual functions – the Ẹrhẹ and Agba. The Ẹrhẹ has a circular seat and base with a central supporting column and can be cast in brass or carved in wood. The Agba is rectangular in shape, with a carved panel forming the seat and four carved interconnected panels that serve as the legs. Agba may be used by the Ọba, chiefs and some priests (Hess, 1983, p.41 ). Although a third kind of stool, Ekete, has been identified in literature (e.g. Ezra 1992, p.263 ), our own research indicates that it means ‘throne’ and can be used to describe any kind of stool that the Ọba may sit upon. Thus, both Agba and Erhe could be Ekete as well (Hess, 1983, p.41 ).