ObjectNumber_Original
VO_64699
Institution
Weltmuseum Wien
Edo designations
English designations
Commemorative Head
Categories
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Location
Heldenplatz, 1010 Wien, Austria
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Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head
Commemorative Head

Iconographies

7 annotations
TBC_under eye markings
Circular facial markings under eyes

These circular or rounded markings lining the area beneath the eyes are seen on Uhunmwu-Elao and Uhunmwu-Ekue. They are thought to reference the dots of Orhue (white kaolin chalk) placed beneath the eyes during ceremonies. Orhue is a symbol of ritual purification and royalty ( ).

1 annotation
TBC_under eye markings
Beaded Crown
Ẹde
Beaded Crown

Although many other members of the Benin royal court wore a variety of hats and forms of headwear, only the Ọba may wear the Ẹde (beaded crown). The Ọba must never be seen bare-headed, and successive Ọbas introduced different styles and types of crowns ( ).

Across different media and objects, Ọbas are depicted wearing various types of crowns, all elaborately crafted from coral beads. Some feature tall projections rising from the crown, known as Oro, while others have curved projections extending from either side of the head, known as the winged cap. The latter was introduced only in the 19th century, most likely by Ọba Osẹmwẹndẹ ( ). Depictions of Ọba Esigie on Ama-Ẹrọnmwọn (bronze relief plaques) show him wearing an elaborate crown decorated with large jasper or coral beads ( ).

1 annotation
Ẹde
Ẹkpẹn
Leopard

The Ẹkpẹn (leopard) is an animal that appears most often among the motifs decorating the Emwin Arhe (royal treasures). The Ẹkpẹn symbolises the valour and strength of the Ọba, as well as his political authority. The Benin people eulogise the Ọba as the ‘ẹkpẹn n'owa’ (leopard of the home).

When a hunter kills a leopard, he must say “ẹkpẹn n'oha” (I killed a bush leopard), as it is taboo to say that a hunter killed a leopard without specifying that it is a bush leopard, as otherwise this would “be tantamount to symbolically killing the king” (Nevadomsky 1988, p. 81). For this reason, leopards of the bush are called Atalakpa to distinguish them from those that represent the Ọba.

1 annotation
Ẹkpẹn
Ikharo
Forehead markings

Ikharo are linear keloid markings depicted on the forehead of Uhunmwu-Elao (commemorative heads) in groups of three or four above each eye. The exact meaning of Ikharo is debated; some have argued that they relate to the gender or tribal identification of the person on whom they are depicted. For example, has argued that they were worn only by men; however, their use in depictions is not consistent with this, and the Iy’Ọba are also shown wearing them. argued that they are instead a stylistic feature employed by artists that varied over time.

The naming of these markings differs between publications. For example, describe these markings as “agbaguda n'ehae”, which they write translates literally as “blades of the forehead”. However, later went on to call these “ikharo”, as used here. referred to these forehead markings as ikharo, meaning “tribal mark [of eye]”.

1 annotation
Ikharo
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
cattle (dwarf mutu cow)
Ẹmila
Cattle (dwarf mutu cow)

Ẹmila are used mainly for social functions. Although, they maybe used by some affluent chiefs and the royal palace for ceremonial purposes

1 annotation
Ẹmila
TBC ov-ene obo
Trunk hand

The trunk hand motif, comprising an elephant’s trunk ending in a fist, is believed to have complex and varied symbolic meanings. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the era of the warrior kings, the motif appeared only occasionally. During the 18th century, it was revived to honour the richest of all Ọbas, Ọba Akenzua I. This was particularly the case on the Aken'ni Elao (carved tusks), and the trunk hand motif commonly appears on these ivories from the 18th century and throughout the 19th and into the 20th centuries ( ). In her PhD thesis, Barbara Blackmun ( ) identified eight different kinds of motifs of this type on the Aken’ni Elao alone, indicating that the form itself is variable. In addition to the ivory Aken’ni Elao, the motif also commonly appears on the flanges of Uhunmwu-Elao (commemorative heads), the bases of Urhotọ (altar tableaux), and some ornately decorated bronze Ukhurhẹ (ancestral staffs).

The elephant trunk hand has been interpreted as a symbol of physical power ( ) and strength ( ), and as the “ultimate Hand of Hands” ( ). A past Ihama n’Igun-Ẹrọnmwọn ( ) interpreted the motif as a symbol of “taking life”. On some Emwin Arhe (royal treasures) where the trunk hand motif is present, depictions of human sacrifices are also present, representing the ultimate power held by the divine Ọbas. The potent nature of the trunk hand motif is further emphasised by Barbara Blackmun through the combination of “the head of one of the most powerful animals with a hand that grasps with enormous strength”; together, these signify “the acquisition of great wealth for the kingdom” ( ).

1 annotation
TBC ov-ene obo

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
February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to 1899
The object is known to have come into contact with William Downing Webster, later in Bicester.
Purchase
1899
The object was purchased by Georg Haas from William Downing Webster from Bicester to Mostov.
Purchase
1899
The object was purchased by the Weltmuseum Wien from Georg Haas from London to Vienna.

Related archival documents

1 documents
See all
An archival document representing a Inventories of 1 page(s)
InventoryAccession Record
Weltmuseum Wien
Inventory book - objects

Institution data

Weltmuseum Wien
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last updated: 2022-05-24
Languages: german, english
Institution fieldValue
ObjectNumber_Original
object id
VO_64699
NativeTitle
edo designation
uhunmwun elao
TextEntry
description
Dieser Gedenkkopf eines Königs ist Teil der historischen Sammlungen aus dem Königreich Benin im heutigen Nigeria. 1897 wurde das Königreich erobert und dessen Oba (König) Ovonramwen ins Exil verbannt. Die aus dem Königspalast geraubten Kunstschätze wurde
Medium
material
Gelbguss
Medium_en
material
Brass
ObjectName
object type
Gedenkkopf eines Königs
ObjectName_en
object type
Commemorative Head of a King
DateBegin
date made
1800
DateEnd
date made
1900
Dated
date made
19. Jahrhundert
Dated_en
date made
19th century
Period
date made
Term
production place
Afrika südlich der Sahara
Term2
production place
West-Afrika
Term3
production place
Nigeria
Term4
production place
Benin
Thesaurus
production place
Afrika südlich der Sahara/West-Afrika/Nigeria/Benin
Provenance
provenance
W.D. Webster Nr. 5442
Role_person
provenance
erworben von-acquired by-William Downing Webster|Zugang über-Accession via-Georg Haas|
Culture
ethnic attribution
Edo, Benin Königreich
Culture_en
ethnic attribution
Edo, Benin Kingdom
CreditLine
department and institution
Weltmuseum Wien
Department
department and institution
MVK Objekte - Afrika südlich der Sahara
Zugangsdatum
accession date
1899
LocationString
display status
Raum Me.40
FileName
images
VO_64699_2.jpg|VO_64699_3.jpg|VO_64699_4.jpg|
PrimaryImage
images
VO_64699_2.jpg
Classification
||
DepartmentID
35
Department_cut
Afrika südlich der Sahara
DisplayOrder
1|2|
Last_Modified
2021-12-06 08:15:34
LocationID
75101
ObjectID
440980
ObjectNumber
64699
PublicAccess
1
SortNumber
VO 64699
TextDate_en
|
TextEntryHTML
Dieser Gedenkkopf eines Königs ist Teil der historischen Sammlungen aus dem Königreich Benin im heutigen Nigeria. 1897 wurde das Königreich erobert und dessen Oba (König) Ovonramwen ins Exil verbannt. Die aus dem Königspalast geraubten Kunstschätze wurde
TextEntryHTML_en
This Commemorative Head of a King is part of the historical collections from the Benin Kingdom, in present-day Nigeria. In 1897, the kingdom was conquered and Oba (king) Ovonramwen banned into exile. The loot from the royal palace was then sold through th
TextEntry_en
This Commemorative Head of a King is part of the historical collections from the Benin Kingdom, in present-day Nigeria. In 1897, the kingdom was conquered and Oba (king) Ovonramwen banned into exile. The loot from the royal palace was then sold through th
cxrDisplayOrder
1|
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