Galerie Wolfgang Jaenicke
An Uhunmwu-Elao, Commemorative head
An Uhunmwu-Elao, Commemorative head
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An Uhunmwu-Elao, Commemorative head of an Oba. Cast copper alloy.
The commemorative heads that have survived in large numbers from this period are strongly formalized. Their faces are largely identical, but the royal insignia are more elaborate and their shapes vary. What they all have in common is the cap made of coral beads. Various motifs on a plinth around the base refer to the king's spiritual power. At the same time, the heads are becoming larger and their wall thickness is significantly thicker. In fact, on the altars of the 18th and 19th centuries, the commemorative heads also serve as a basis for large elephant teeth carved with motifs that were depicted on the relief panels in the early days of Benin, in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Commemorative Head, Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin.
Schmidt, Eduard,
Location Schloßpl., 10178 Berlin, Germany
After the death of a king (oba), an altar was erected for him in a secluded courtyard of the palace. Among the most significant objects on these altars were commemorative heads of the deceased cast in brass. Extensive rituals and regular sacrifices at this altar by the successor confirmed his relationship to the royal ancestors and strengthened his spiritual power. This example of a 17th-century memorial head shows the king with the regalia of coral beads: a cap-like crown and a high neck collar made of coral chains.
Height: 23 cm
Weight: 4,6 kg
