Urhukpa-Ẹvbi
Urhukpa-Ẹvbi (lamps) means ‘oil lamps’, and they are used to illuminate the house after dusk. Most lamps were made to have a curved plate-like bottom in which the oil would be poured and lit, and they are hung from chains attached on three or four sides. The Urukpa-Ẹvbi would be made with iron by the Igun-Ugboha, who are part of the Igun-Ematon and are responsible for producing household items.
Although some Urukpa-Ẹvbi may have been used in palaces, the presence of them within institution holdings today indicates the wide range of objects the British looted in 1897, beyond those objects which were clearly considered valuable in the late nineteenth century, such as ivories. It is likely that a number were used in palaces and compounds in Benin City, but more detailed information on how they were placed and used is no longer available.
Educational Material
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