eben

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The eben sword consists of a broad, leaf-shaped blade and a narrow handle with a wide ring at the lower end. The material, iron, is said to have strong spiritual power in Benin, which is associated with the ancestors. Royal eben swords can also have brass decorations. They were carried by the king and dignitaries at the annual Ugie Erha Oba ceremony. The latter greeted the king with a raised eben sword. At the climax of the ceremony, the king touched the altars of his royal ancestors with his eben sword, thereby renewing his connection to them.

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Cataloguing data

Object type
Ceremonial sword (Ceremonial sword)
Dimensions
Height: 96 cm
Width: 22 cm
Depth: 20 cm
Weight: 1,6 kg
Material/Technique
Iron
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 7672

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    where
    Benin [kingdom]
  • Production
    when
    18th century-19th century.
    where
    Nigeria
  • Collecting
    who
    Eduard Schmidt - Collectors
  • Change of legal title:
    Acquisition
    Description
    18th century - 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 possession after the conquest of Benin; collected by the German consul and employee of the Woermann line, Eduard Schmidt, 1897-1898; acquired by the Royal Museum of Ethnology, 1898.
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Africa

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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