Ivbiotọ
Ivbiotọ (trophy heads) are thought to represent decapitated heads of former Benin vassals who rebelled against the Ọba. When a rebel vassal was defeated, his head was removed and brought to Benin in an Ẹkpoki. The Ọba sent it to the Igun Ẹronmwon, where they made bronze replicas. The three Udari, or suborbital markings, show that the image is that of a non-Benin male.
Based on a conversation with Chief Ihama in 1976, Ben-Amos (1995 ) argued that these represent the decapitated heads of conquered kings. The Ọba kept one of the cast heads in the palace, while the other was sent to the son of the rebel vassal to constantly remind him of what happened to his father in case he chose to rebel against the Ọba. According to Chief Inneh, such heads were placed on the shrines of the ancestors, whereas Nevadomsky (1986 ) suggested they were placed on the shrine of war, the Aro-Okuo.
Educational Material
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