ID
211126
Edo designations
English designations
Relief Plaque
Categories
Palace Architecture & Ornamentation
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque
Relief Plaque

Iconographies

8 annotations
Ititi ako
Star beads

The Ititi ako is a cluster of coral beads, usually three or four, attached to a pin and used to embellish the royal crowns on Uhunmwu-Elao (commemorative heads) and Uhunmwu-Ẹkuẹ (pendant masks). These bead clusters are also known as star beads, which indicate the prosperous destiny of an individual or wearer. Apart from enhancing the appearance of the wearer, they also represent the individual’s high social status. Judging from their presence on a variety of head sculptures, both men and women wore Ititi ako.

1 annotation
Ititi ako
Colar Bead
Odigba
Coral beaded collar

Odigba (coral-beaded collar) is a rigid neck collar made of coral beads, worn as part of ceremonial attire only by senior princes who have been made Enigie (Inneh 2007, p. 107). Although Ibafe (2007, p. 43) argued that the Odigba was introduced during the Ogiso period (c. 900–c. 1170 AD) by Ogiso Ere, along with other symbolically important Emwin Arhe, such as the Ada (ceremonial sword) and the Ẹbẹn (ceremonial sword), this seems unlikely, as coral was only introduced in the late 15th century through trade with Portuguese merchants.

1 annotation
Odigba
Ikoro
Armcuff

Ikoro (armcuffs) are made from different materials using different techniques, including brass sheet, cast bronze, and ivory. They were crafted by different guilds depending on the material used: artists of the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn cast them in brass or hammered and incised them from brass sheet, whereas artists of the Igbesamwan carved ivory Ikoro. Ikoro were made in different qualities, from rather simple examples with abstract geometric decoration to finely carved ivory examples with brass or copper inlays. Ikoro are worn in pairs on both forearms by chiefs and the Ọba during ceremonies and festivals. Figures depicted on the Emwin Arhe (royal treasures) are often shown wearing such pairs.

2 annotations
Ikoro
Ikoro
Igan
Feather

Igan (feathers) are commonly depicted tucked into the headdresses and hats of chiefs represented on Emwin Arre (royal treasures). These feathers are from the Oɛɣohɔ (vulturine fish eagle) and symbolise respected old age and proper chieftaincy ( ).

1 annotation
Igan
Water fern
Ebe Amẹ
Water Fern

Ebe Amẹ refers to a wide variety of plants, particularly the leaves of the water fern or river leaf, found in riverine areas of southern Nigeria ( ). Artists from the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn used these as a decorative motif in the background of most Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques). The petals of the Ebe Amẹ, like the points of the ἀghàdàgháda (crossroads), represent the four cardinal directions: north, east, south, and west. The number four plays a foundational role in the Edo calendar, which is structured around four market days ( ).

1 annotation
Ebe Amẹ
Uko
Container

Uko are flask-shaped containers with globular bodies and narrow openings, which could be made from calabash or cast in brass. The Uko depicted on Emwin Arhe (royal treasures) are usually worn around the neck or waist of figures, particularly those identified as ritual specialists or warriors, suggesting that they may have contained protective or ritual substances. Figures on Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques) are sometimes shown holding or pouring from larger Uko, likely referencing the presentation of offerings during ceremonies and festivals. Uko motifs also decorate the flanges of Ikẹgobọ (altars to the hand), where they may similarly reference vessels used to contain liquid offerings.

1 annotation
Uko
Ukpọn
Wrapper

Ukpọn is the Edo term for cloth (Aigbe 1985, p. 55; Ọbazee 2025, p. 542) and is used here to refer to the wrappers or kilts worn by many of the figures depicted on the Emwin Arre (royal treasures). The cloth worn around the waist may be plain, but it is more commonly richly decorated with motifs associated with the monarchy, power, and wealth, such as the Ọba'nui (infinity symbol) and Uhunme Ikpotoki (Portuguese heads).

The Benin Kingdom was renowned for its textile production, both for local use and for trade ( ). Within the royal court, members of the Owina n’Ido produced ukhuen cloth for the Ọba and other members of the court, who wore it as wrappers during festivals and ceremonies ( ).

Alongside locally produced textiles, imported cloth was also an important commodity in the Benin Kingdom’s trade networks. Textiles were exchanged with neighbouring production centres, particularly Ijebu ( ), while European traders brought silks, woollens, linens, and cotton from Europe and Asia from the 15th century onwards ( ).

1 annotation
Ukpọn

Provenance

5 events
Production
1504 (approximate) to 1550 (approximate)
The object was produced by Unknown member(s) of the Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn guild in Benin City.
Looted
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to June 1899 (year approximate)
The object was looted by Unknown member of the British colonial military campaign on Benin - February 1897 from Benin Kingdom.
Unknown
some day in March 1897 to September 10, 1898
The object is known to have come into contact with Eduard Schmidt.
Purchase
September 13, 1898 to December 31, 1898
The object was purchased by the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin from Eduard Schmidt with its destination in Berlin.
Restitution
August 25, 2022
The object was restituted by the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin to the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria through Hermann Parzinger and Abba Isa Tijani from Berlin to Nigeria.

Related archival documents

2 documents
See all
Museum Catalogue
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin
Die Altertümer von Benin
Date
January 1, 1919 at 12:00:00 AM
An archival document representing a Correspondence of 2 page(s)
Correspondence
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Die Erwerbung ethnologischer Gegenstände aus der Benin-Expedition. Vol. 2
Date
September 13, 1898

Institution data

Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2021-06-14
Language: german
Institution fieldValue
ID
object id
211126
Sachbegriff
designation
Sachbegriff: Reliefplatte
Titel
designation
Titel: Würdenträger
Objektref.
description
E 663/1898, Erwerbung: a.) I/131/1898 + b.) I/132/1898 + I/133/1898: a.) III C 8164-8182 + b.) III C 8183-8192 + c.) III C 8193-8218, a,b.) Bronzen c.) Bronzen u. Elefantenzahn (Benin), Consul Schmidt, 1898, Eduard Schmidt (1892); VIII A 10775, Positiv, SW, Reliefplatte, Bronze, Kurt Grunst (*04.04.1921)
Texte Online
description
Online Beschreibung, Zwei hohe Würdenträger in Profilansicht. [Benin_Königreich]
Material / Technik
material
Material: Messing; Ausgabe: Messing
Material / Technik // Alle
material
Messing, Messing
Maße
dimensions
H: 32 cm B: 17 cm G.: 4,72 kg
Objekttyp
object type
Allgemein
Sachbegr. Ausgabe
object type
Reliefplatte (Relief plaque)
Anzahl Teile
object count
1
Datierung
date made
16. Jh.
Geogr. Bezüge
production place
Nigeria ( Land ); Benin ( Königreich )
Geogr. Bezüge // Alle
production place
Benin, Nigeria
Beteiligte
prior source
Eduard Schmidt (1892), Sammler
Beteiligte // (Name, Sortierung=kleinste)
prior source
Schmidt, Eduard
Veräußerer
prior source
null
Erwerb. Notiz
provenance
Notiz: Rückführung Wiesbaden; Ausgabe: 16. Jh., im Auftrag von Oba Esigie (reg. 1517-1550) oder seines Sohnes Oba Orhogbua (reg. 1550-1570), Königspalast, Benin-Stadt; durch Erbschaft an Oba Ovonramwen (ca. 1857-1914; reg. 1888-97), Königspalast, Benin-Stadt; geplündert im Zusammenhang mit der britischen Eroberung von Benin, 1897; in unbekanntem Besitz nach der Eroberung vom Königreich Benin; gesammelt von Konsul Eduard Schmidt, Angestellter der Woermann Linie, zwischen 1897 und 1898 im Gebiet des späteren kolonialen Nigeria; verkauft an das Königliche Museum für Völkerkunde in Berlin, 1898.
Verw. Institution
department and institution
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Erwerb. Datum
accession date
1898
Besitzart
accession method
Erwerbungsart
accession method
Ankauf
Digital Assets
images
Vorlage; Vorlage; Vorlage; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vervielfältigung; Vorlage; Vervielfältigung; Vorlage; III C 8211.JPG, Repro Digitalisat; III C 8211 -B.JPG, Repro Digitalisat; III C 8211 -C.JPG, Repro Digitalisat; III C 8211 -D.JPG, Repro Digitalisat; III C 8211 -E.JPG, Repro Digitalisat; III C 8211 -F.JPG, Repro Digitalisat; III C 8211 -G.JPG, Repro Digitalisat
Erwerb. Nr.
I/133/1898
Ident. Nr.
III C 8211
Ident. Nr. // (Sortiernr.)
0003 C 08211
Obj. Status
vorhanden
Sensitive Content

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