Catalogue
Catalog #
E428163-0
Institution
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Edo designations
English designations
Rooster Figure
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Figures
Location
10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, United States
Rooster Figure
Rooster Figure
Rooster Figure
Rooster Figure

Provenance

5 events
Production
unknown to February 22, 1897 (day 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
1950s to May 16, 1959
The object is known to have come into contact with D'Arcy Galleries, later in New York City.
Purchase
May 16, 1959
The object was purchased by Joseph Herman Hirshhorn and D.C Washington Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from D'Arcy Galleries from New York City to Washington, D.C..
Donation
August 28, 1992
The object was donated by D.C Washington Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History with its destination in Washington, D.C..

Institution data

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-01-18
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
Accession number
object id
370312
Catalog #
object id
E428163-0
Object Name
designation
Chicken Sculpture
Material
material
Copper alloy
Measurement
dimensions
Length 14.1 cm; Width 8.5 cm; Height 16.5 cm (w/ base)
Index Term
object type
Sculpture
Count
object count
1
Date created
date made
1958
Site
production place
Nigeria, Edo State / Kingdom of Benin
Donor / Transactor
prior source
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden
Collector
provenance
Date collected
date collected
1959
Culture
ethnic attribution
Edo
Accession date
accession date
8/28/92
Notes
notes
Provenience undocumented (Benin area, Nigeria; D'arcy Galleries of New York, to May 16, 1959; Joseph Hirshhorn purchase May 16, 1959-May 17, 1966.) Vetted and dated to 1958 by William Fagg. Philip Dark also vetted the object, but was not sure it was from Benin. He ultimately agreed with Fagg's identification. Paula Girshick Ben-Amos, Keeper of African Art at U Penn Museum questioned whether object was from Benin and provided photos of Yoruba sculptures of chickens for comparison. Exhibited in Hirshhorn Museum (HMSG) "The Animals in Art" Nov 17, 1977 - Jan 15, 1978. Description: cast brass stylized chicken is screwed to square wooden base. Has small head with open beak, round big body, & left leg has extension (for screwing to base). Round wings are spread out, triangular tail raised. Wings & underside of body covered with incised cross-hatching. SI Archives acc. 86-136, box 1
Digital negative #
images
NMNH-2022-00190; NMNH-2022-00191; NMNH-2022-00192; NMNH-2022-00193; NMNH-2022-00194; NMNH-2022-00195; NMNH-2022-00196; NMNH-2022-00197
Online record
weblink
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3edcea12c-3862-44e0-b0dc-c439a17b5011
Photos Online?
Sensitive Content

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

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