Memorial head of a king | Photographer:
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Memorial head of a king
Commemorative heads for kings show the typical insignia: several rows of necklaces and the round cap made of coral beads. In contrast to the art of the 18th and 19th centuries, the reduced formalisation is seen as an expression of naturalistic art, which is due to the influence of Ife, an important centre of Yoruba culture. However, these are not naturalistic portraits in the European sense. Rather, they are ideal portraits that do not depict an individual, but visualise the concept of a king.
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Ethnologisches Museum
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Cataloguing data
Object type
Plastic
Dimensions
Objektmaß: 22 x 19 x 20 cm
Gewicht: 3,8 kg
Gewicht: 3,8 kg
Material/Technique
Brass
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 8169
Provenance and sources
where
Benin [kingdom]
when
16th century
where
Nigeria [Land]
who
Eduard Schmidt - Collectors
Description
16th cent, Commissioned by the Igun Eronmwon or guild of brass casters in the Kingdom of Benin for a royal memorial altar; inherited by 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.
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The name of this item is missing in its original language. If you know the name or have any comments, please use the form to get in touch with the institution that provided the data.
The name of this item is missing in its original language. If you know the name or have any comments, please use the form to get in touch with the institution that provided the data.
The name of this item is missing in its original language. If you know the name or have any comments, please use the form to get in touch with the institution that provided the data.
This content was machine-translated