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Prince Odogbo with companions (?)

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The three unclothed young men with coral necklaces and ankles, whose bodies are tattooed or painted, are probably not the king's personal servants (emada), who are usually depicted unclothed. According to oral tradition, this panel is now regarded as a depiction of Prince Odogbo, who later became King Ohuan (1608-1641). When he was born, it was rumoured that the newborn was a girl. After his appointment as heir to the throne, he had to prove his male gender by appearing unclothed.

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Cataloguing data

Object type
Relief plaque
Dimensions
Weight: 9 kg
Height: 39 cm
Depth: 6,4 cm
Width: 32,2 cm
Material/Technique
Brass, copper alloy
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 8755

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    where
    Benin [kingdom]
  • Production
    when
    16th century
    where
    Nigeria
    Benin
  • Collecting
    who
    William Downing Webster (1868-05-11 - 1913-01-14) - Collectors
  • Change of legal title:
    Acquisition
    Description
    16th cent, commissioned by Oba Esigie (r. 1517-1550) or his son Oba Orhogbua (r. 1550-1570), royal palace, Benin City; by inheritance to Oba Ovonramwen (ca. 1857-1914; r. 1888-97), Royal Palace, Benin City; looted in connection with the British conquest of Benin, 1897; owner between 1897 and 1899 currently unknown; acquired by William D. Webster through 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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