
Ọkpan (bowls and plates) were often used as household items, for eating or as kitchenware. There are some cast brass and gilt objects which would have been used for ritual or ceremonial purposes, possibly even by members of the royal court.
Ọkpan made from pottery, wood, brass, bronze and calabash are grouped together here. Some have a pedestal or foot, although most consist only of a convex bowl. Most were likely simple, with only minimal decorative elements.
Meanwhile, some of the more elaborate examples, such as those with pedestals in the form of human figures, and often cast in brass or bronze, likely would have served a ritual or ceremonial purpose.
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