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Leopard head

In Beninese art, leopards symbolise the extraordinary power of the king. They were worn as belt masks by military personnel of various ranks.

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
Belt mask
Dimensions
Height: 13 cm
Depth: 4 cm
Width: 7 cm
Material/Technique
Brass
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 9950

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    where
    Benin [kingdom]
  • Production
    when
    18th century-19th century.
    where
    Nigeria
    Benin
  • Collecting
    who
    William Downing Webster (1868-05-11 - 1913-01-14) - Collectors
  • Change of legal title:
    Acquisition
    Description
    Commissioned from the Igun Eronmwon brass foundry guild in the Kingdom of Benin in the 18th or 19th century; ownership before 1897 currently unknown; probably looted in connection with the British conquest of Benin, 1897; in unknown possession between Feb. 1897 and 1899; acquired by the Museum of Ethnology from William D. Webster, 1899.
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Africa

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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