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Ooton or Osuan

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The priest Osuan and his subordinate Ooton priest can be recognised by the cone-shaped headdress, which only the king and some other dignitaries were allowed to wear. The long whips (often two in the case of Ohuan) that they carry in their hands are used to ward off evil forces during sacrifices.

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Object type
Relief plaque
Dimensions
Weight: 2,2 kg
Height: 36,5 cm
Depth: 6,5 cm
Width: 17 cm
Material/Technique
Brass
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 8256

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    where
    Benin [kingdom]
  • Production
    when
    16th century
    where
    Nigeria
  • 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; purchased by Hans Meyer, between 1897 and 1898; donated to the Royal Museum of Ethnology in 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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