objectnumber: y1963-38
Institution media
7 images
Institution data
Internal Data (eng)Internal Data (eng)Public Data (eng)
Princeton University Art Museum
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last Updated: 2021-07-23
Language: English
objectnumberObject ID
y1963-38
Former-PUAM-TitleDesignation
TitleDesignation
Bracelet
Core-Cataloguing-Fields/DescriptionDescription
Cast bronze cylinder. Loops around rim at either end.
Openwork background. Two horsemen. Alternating with them and with feet on opposite rim,
two standing figures, each holding club and bird at sides. Worn on the left forearm of
the Oba (King).
From accession card.
MediumMaterial
Brass
Terms/Medium-AttributesMaterial
brass (alloy), casting (process)
MeasurementsDimensions
13.5 cm x 9.0 cm (5 5/16 x 3 9/16 in.)
Core-Cataloguing-Fields/ClassificationObject Type
Ornament
Terms/Classification-TermsObject Type
cuffs (costume components), jewelry, bracelets (jewelry)
Terms/Subject-TermsIconography
Portuguese, figures (representations), men, merchants, equestrians, horses
DateDate Made
18th–19th century
Search-DatesDate Made
1700, 1899
makerProducer
Edo artist
Geography/CountryProduction Place
Nigeria
Geography/Place-madeProduction Place
Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, Western Africa
Geography/RegionProduction Place
Benin Kingdom
Geography/SubContinentProduction Place
Western Africa
Accession-Information/DonorPrior Source
J. Lionberger Davis, 1878–1973
CreditlinePrior Source
Gift of J. Lionberger Davis, Class of 1900
Core-Cataloguing-Fields/ProvenanceProvenance
Benin City (Edo), present-day Nigeria, until 1897; [Mathias Komor Works of Art, New York, NY]; J. Lionberger Davis, St. Louis, MO; Princeton University Art Museum, 1963
- Provenance, 2017-04-28, Kristen D. Windmuller-Luna
Terms/Culture-TermsEthnic Attribution
African, Edo (African)
Accession-Information/Accession-DateAccession Date
1963
Accession-Information/Accession-MethodAccession Method
Gift
Exhibition-History/Exhibition/Exhibition-DateExhibition History
Jul 14, 2012 – Sep 23, 2012
Exhibition-History/Exhibition/Exhibition-PlaceExhibition History
Princeton University Art Museum
Exhibition-History/Exhibition/Exhibition-TitleExhibition History
Encounters: Conflict, Dialogue, Discovery
Exhibition-History/Exhibtion/Exhibition-DateExhibition History
Sep 1, 2014 – Sep 30, 2014
Exhibition-History/Exhibtion/Exhibition-PlaceExhibition History
Princeton University Art Museum
Exhibition-History/Exhibtion/Exhibition-TitleExhibition History
Sep preGallery Rotation African Fall 2014
Published-References-and-Reproductions/Reference/0Bibliography
Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007), p. 151 (illus.).
Published-References-and-Reproductions/Reference/1Bibliography
"Summary of Acquisitions, 1963," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University, vol. 23, no. 1 (1964): p. 29-31, p. 31.
Published-References-and-Reproductions/Reference/2Bibliography
Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collections (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 2 013), p. 151.
Published-References-and-Reproductions/Reference/3Bibliography
"Selected checklist of objects in the collection of African art," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 58, no. 1/2 (1999): p. 77–83, p. 78.
Published-References-and-Reproductions/Reference/4Bibliography
"Gifts by J. Lionberger Davis, Class of 1900, to the Art Museum", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 33, no. 2 (1974): p. 24-30, p. 30 (illus.).
Princeton University Art Museum
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last Updated: 2021-02-10
Language: English
objectidObject ID
29134
objectnumberObject ID
y1963-38
Primary_TitleDesignation
Bracelet
displaytitleDesignation, Object Type
Bracelet
captionDescription
Edo artist, Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, Western Africa, Bracelet, 18th–19th century. Brass, 13.5 x 9 cm. Gift of J. Lionberger Davis, Class of 1900 (y1963-38)
captionhtmlDescription
Edo artist, Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, Western Africa, Bracelet, 18th–19th century. Brass, 13.5 x 9 cm. Gift of J. Lionberger Davis, Class of 1900 (y1963-38)
texts/0/textentryhtmlDescription
This brass openwork bracelet is decorated with repeating figures and was originally one of a pair of wrist cuffs. A male figure representing a Portuguese navigator alternates with the figure of a noblemen on horseback, each one appearing twice. The equestrian may represent the divine king, who alone may own horses. The man is one of many portrayed in Edo court arts after Portuguese traders began traveling to Benin City in the late fifteenth century. Edo peoples drew parallels between the Portuguese sailors and the god Olokun, who crosses water and brings wealth to the living. The openwork lattice pattern, elaborate surfaces, and dynamic use of space attest to the artistry of the royal brass-casting guilds. Similar bracelets, carved in ivory, are reserved for the king.
texts/0/textpurposeDescription
Handbook Entry
texts/1/textentryhtmlDescription
Chiefs and kings of the kingdom of Benin wore pairs of brass bracelets at palace ceremonies. This cast example depicts four men—two on horseback, two standing. While these figures do not have the slender noses typical of Benin depictions of Europeans, they can be identified as Portuguese by their short beards, helmets, and clothing. Linked to the god Olokun, who crosses water and brings wealth to the living, images of Portuguese traders symbolized economic and political power. The royal brass-casting guilds dramatically increased their production after the fifteenth century as a result of the influx of brass manilas—bracelet-shaped metal currency pieces—imported by the Portuguese.
texts/1/textpurposeDescription
Gallery Label
mediumMaterial
Brass
terms/Materials/termMaterial
brass (alloy)
dimensionelements/DepthDimensions
dimensionelements/HeightDimensions
Overall: 13.50 centimeters
dimensionelements/WidthDimensions
dimensionelements/diamDimensions
Overall: 9.00 centimeters
dimensionsDimensions
13.5 cm x 9.0 cm (5 5/16 x 3 9/16 in.)
classificationObject Type
Ornament
classifications/0/classificationObject Type
cuffs (costume components)
classifications/1/classificationObject Type
jewelry
classifications/2/classificationObject Type
bracelets (jewelry)
terms/Subject/0/termIconography
Portuguese
terms/Subject/1/termIconography
figures (representations)
terms/Subject/2/termIconography
men
terms/Subject/3/termIconography
merchants
terms/Subject/4/termIconography
equestrians
terms/Subject/5/termIconography
horses
datebeginDate Made
1700
datecomputedDate Made
1800
dateendDate Made
1899
daterangeDate Made
A.D. 1800-1850
displaydateDate Made
18th–19th century
makers/datebeginProducer
0
makers/dateendProducer
0
makers/displaymakerProducer
Edo artist
makers/displaynameProducer
Edo
makers/roleProducer
Artist
makers/suffixProducer
artist
terms/Techniques/0/termProduction Technique
casting (process)
terms/Techniques/1/termProduction Technique
geography/continentProduction Place
Africa
geography/countryProduction Place
Nigeria
geography/displaygeographyProduction Place
Place made: Africa, Nigeria, Benin Kingdom
geography/locationProduction Place
lat: 10
lon: 8
geography/regionProduction Place
Benin Kingdom
geography/subcontinentProduction Place
Western Africa
creditlinePrior Source
Gift of J. Lionberger Davis, Class of 1900
cultureterms/0/cultureEthnic Attribution
African
cultureterms/1/cultureEthnic Attribution
Edo (African)
displaymakerEthnic Attribution
Edo artist
terms/Culture/0/termEthnic Attribution
African
terms/Culture/1/termEthnic Attribution
Edo (African)
departmentDepartment and Institution
African and Oceanic Art
accessionyearAccession Date
1963-01-01
exhibitions/begindateExhibition History
2012-07-14
exhibitions/citationExhibition History
Encounters: Conflict, Dialogue, Discovery (Saturday, July 14, 2012 - Sunday, September 23, 2012)
exhibitions/enddateExhibition History
2012-09-23
exhibitions/exhibitionidExhibition History
1489
exhibitions/isvirtualExhibition History
true
bibliography/0/boilertextBibliography
Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007).
bibliography/0/citationBibliography
Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007)., p. 151 (illus.)
bibliography/0/dateBibliography
2007
bibliography/0/idBibliography
474
bibliography/0/uriBibliography
bibliography/1/boilertextBibliography
Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collections (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 2013).
bibliography/1/citationBibliography
Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collections (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 2013)., p. 151
bibliography/1/dateBibliography
2013
bibliography/1/idBibliography
1994
bibliography/1/uriBibliography
bibliography/2/boilertextBibliography
"Selected checklist of objects in the collection of African art," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 58, no. 1/2 (1999): p. 77–83.
bibliography/2/citationBibliography
"Selected checklist of objects in the collection of African art," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 58, no. 1/2 (1999): p. 77–83., p. 78
bibliography/2/dateBibliography
1999
bibliography/2/idBibliography
3043
bibliography/2/uriBibliography
bibliography/3/boilertextBibliography
"Gifts by J. Lionberger Davis, Class of 1900, to the Art Museum", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 33, no. 2 (1974): p. 24-30.
bibliography/3/citationBibliography
"Gifts by J. Lionberger Davis, Class of 1900, to the Art Museum", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 33, no. 2 (1974): p. 24-30., p. 30 (illus.)
bibliography/3/dateBibliography
1974
bibliography/3/idBibliography
6012
bibliography/3/uriBibliography
bibliography/4/boilertextBibliography
"Summary of Acquisitions, 1963," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University, vol. 23, no. 1 (1964): p. 29-31.
bibliography/4/citationBibliography
"Summary of Acquisitions, 1963," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University, vol. 23, no. 1 (1964): p. 29-31., p. 31
bibliography/4/dateBibliography
1964
bibliography/4/idBibliography
545
bibliography/4/uriBibliography
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