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Rider figure Iyase

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Bars made of brass, more rarely ivory, were used in a ceremony to commemorate the victory of King Esigie (early 16th century) over the kingdom of Idah. There is usually a depiction of the bird of destiny at the top. The depiction of an Iyase on this staff is an indication that it was used by the king himself. In the 18th century, the royal privilege of owning ivory objects was relaxed.

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
Ivory sound bar
Dimensions
Weight: 1 kg
Height: 45,3 cm
Width: 8,7 cm
Depth: 7 cm
Material/Technique
Ivory (Loxodonta africana)
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 8752

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    where
    Benin [kingdom]
  • Production
    when
    18th cent.
    where
    Nigeria
    Benin
  • Collecting
    who
    Theo Rautenstrauch - Collectors
  • Change of legal title:
    Acquisition
    Description
    18th century, commissioned in the Kingdom of Benin; ownership before 1897 currently unknown; probably looted in connection with the British conquest of Benin, 1897; in unknown possession after the conquest of the Kingdom of Benin; gift of Theo Rautenstrauch to the Royal Museum of Ethnology Berlin, 1899.
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Africa

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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