Okpia
Okpia is the Edo word for ‘male’. All figures which can be identified as male have been grouped here. The regalia and dress vary, and more research may enable the identification of the specific identities of these figures.
Men are much more commonly depicted in the arts of the Benin royal court than women. Such sculptures are cast in brass or are carved from ivory and wood.
Educational Material
Digital Benin collates digital material from institutions, and some of this material is inherently colonial and contains words, terms and phrases that are inaccurate, derogatory and harmful towards African and African diasporic communities. Catalogue transcriptions, book titles, exhibition titles and museum titles may contain harmful terms. We recognise the potential for the material to cause physical and mental distress as well as evoke strong emotions. Owing to the scale of the collection’s data, a process to implement sensitive-content warnings in the displayed data is still incomplete. The material within the catalogue does not represent Digital Benin’s views. Digital Benin maintains a strong anti-colonial, anti-racist position and affirms its support for centring the humanity of historically marginalised and disenfranchised communities. Read more about the background of this statement here