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Memorial head of a king

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The large number of commemorative heads from this period are highly formalised. Their faces are largely identical, but the royal insignia are more elaborate and their shapes vary, with the coral bead cap being a common feature. This basic shape is varied by different additions, such as coral beads attached to the sides, wing-like attachments and curved bars of coral beads that extend up to the eyes in front of the face. Various motifs on a plinth around the base refer to the spiritual power of the king. At the same time, the heads become larger and their wall thickness considerably thicker. On the altars of the 18th and 19th centuries, the memorial heads also serve as a base for large elephant teeth, which are carved with motifs that were depicted on the relief panels in Benin's early period, in the 16th and 17th centuries.

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Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
Plastic
Dimensions
Weight: 39,8 kg
Height: 45,5 cm
Depth: 32 cm
Width: 29 cm
Material/Technique
Brass, Iron
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 8200

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    where
    Benin [kingdom]
  • Production
    when
    18th century-19th century.
    where
    Nigeria
  • Collecting
    who
    Eduard Schmidt - Collectors
  • Change of legal title:
    Acquisition
    Description
    18th century - 19th century, Commissioned by the Igun Eronmwon or guild of brass casters in the Kingdom of Benin for a royal memorial altar; given by inheritance to Oba Ovonramwen (ca. 1857-1914; r. 1888-97), Royal Palace, Benin City; probably looted in connection with the British conquest of Benin, 1897; in unknown possession after the conquest of the Kingdom of Benin; collected by Consul Eduard Schmidt, employee of the Woermann line, between 1897 and 1898 in the territory of later colonial Nigeria; sold to the Königliches Museum für Völkerkunde in Berlin, 1898.
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Africa

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

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