Reg No.
44528
Edo designations
English designations
Carved Coconut Vessel
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Containers
Location
1 Adesogbe (Plymouth) Road, P.M.B. 1115, Benin City , Edo State
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Carved Coconut Vessel

Iconographies

3 annotations
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
Ukpan obọ eva
Crossed Beaded Baldrics

The Ukpan obọ eva (coral-bead crossed baldrics) were worn as part of the ehaingbehia, the full ceremonial regalia, by only high-ranking members of the palace, including the Ọba himself, the Iy’Ọba, the Edaiken, and the Ezọmọ (Ben-Amos 1999, pp. 68, 141; Osadolor in Plankensteiner 2007, cat. no. 70, pp. 322–323).

1 annotation
Ukpan obọ eva
Ewu ivie
Coral Beaded Shirt

The Ewu ivie (coral bead shirt) is made of strings of coral beads. This heavy shirt was part of the ceremonial regalia worn only by a small number of high-ranking members of the palace: the Ọba, the Edaiken, the Iy’Ọba, and the Ezọmọ (Girshick Ben-Amos 1999, p. 68). The Ewu ivie would be worn along with the Odigba (coral bead collar).

1 annotation
Ewu ivie

Provenance

5 events
Production
unknown to 1936
The object was produced by Unknown member(s) of the Emada in Benin City.
Unknown
1936
The object is known to have come into contact with Eckart von Sydow, in Benin City.
Unknown
1937
The object is known to have come into contact with Eckart von Sydow and Eduard von der Heydt, later in Ascona.
Donation
January 4, 1950
The object was donated by Eduard von der Heydt to the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum from Ascona to Cologne.
Restitution
December 8, 2022
The object was restituted by the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum to the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria from Cologne to Nigeria.

Related archival documents

1 documents
See all
An archival document representing a Research notes of 2 page(s)
Research notes
Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum
194905
Date
September 8, 1954

Institution data

Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-07-27
Language: english
Institution fieldValue
Additional Ids
object id
194905
Additional Ids / bundle
object id
RJM 1949/05
Other numbers
object id
Reg No.
object id
44528
Reg. No / Inventory number
object id
RJM 44528
Object name
designation
object type
bowl
Object name / Title
designation
Coconut Bowl
materials
material
coconut shell
Dimension/s
dimensions
H.5.80cm W.13.40cm X. 10.40cm
previous owner/collector
prior source
Eduard von der Heydt
provenance
provenance
until 04.01.1950, Eduard von der Heydt (1882-1964); from 04.01.1950, Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum (donation); probably 1936 - 1937, Eckart von Sydow
Institution
department and institution
Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum - Cultures of the World, Cologne
Institution acquisition date
accession date
1/4/50
Acquisition details
accession method
donation
comments
notes
Between June 1935 and December 1937, according to the list in the convoluted file, 366 objects by Freiherr von der Heydt were given as loan to the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum.
Copyright
license
© Museumsgesellschaft RJM Köln, Foto Uli Grohs
notes concerning "other numbers"
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