Leopard head | Photographer: Martin Franken
Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike 4.0 International
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.
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. This not only applied to the brass masks, but probably also to the ivory leopard mask. For a long time, ivory objects were reserved exclusively for the king. However, in the 18th century, following a crisis in royalty, this privilege was extended to the ezomo and the iyase, the two senior military leaders.
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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum
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Cataloguing data
Object type
Belt mask
Dimensions
Objektmaß: 20 x 10 x 5,5 cm
Material/Technique
Ivory , ivory
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 12536
Provenance and sources
where
Benin [kingdom]
when
17th century-18th century.
where
Nigeria [Land]
Benin [Königreich]
who
Fr. Lüttge - Collectors
Description
19th 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 ownership after Feb. 1897; acquired by Mrs Lüttge, 1901.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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