A brass plate probably depicting Oba Esigie in the style of Benin

A brass plate probably depicting Oba Esigie in the style of Benin, recognizable by the coral collar and the pearl net hood, in the right hand an Ahianmwẹ-Ọrọ and a rattle staff in his hand, In his left hand he holds a staff with which he touches the bird's head, symbolizing the divine power of the Oba, who controls the mythical wisdom of the bird. What is remarkable about this plate is the extremely pronounced three-dimensional relief, which gives the impression that the transition from a relief representation to a three-dimensional sculpture could happen at any moment. There are only a few plates that show a similarly prominent relief. The motif is also unusual and is not mentioned in the collections of DB.

The Ahianmwẹ-Ọrọ, meaning ‘bird of prophecy’ is a bird with a long beak, the cry of which is said to be prophetic. If it cries ‘OyaO’ (disgrace), it portends danger or disaster. If it cries ‘Oliguegue’ (be grateful), it portends good favour, fortune or luck. If it persistently cries ‘OyaO, OyaO’ in front of someone, it is prophesying that the person should be cautious and should not undergo a journey or should return home rather than continue on. But if the bird cries ‘Oliguegue’ continuously, the journey will be favourable. The bird is believed to be a messenger of the spirit world. Source DB about Ahianmwẹ-Ọrọ.