John Paul Frisch (1875-1934) was a Hamburg merchant residing in the Sternschanze district. Frisch worked as an agent for the company Bey & Zimmer in West Africa. He has been recorded on several passenger documents travelling to southern Nigeria with Woermann ships. In 1903, Frisch sold four objects from the Kingdom of Benin to the museum.
Köpfchen mit drei Füßen
Unbekannte Werkstatt der Bronzegießergilde Igun Eronmwon / Königreich Benin, Nigeria, 16./17. Jh. / Gelbguss / Ankauf von John Paul Frisch, 1903, Inv. Nr. C 3692
Dieser Behälter diente wahrscheinlich zur Aufbewahrung ritueller Medizin und stand wohl auf einem Altar. Die Beine verweisen auf Ofoe, den Boten des Todesgottes Ogiuwu. Die Edo stellen sich Ofoe als körperlos vor, seine Gliedmaßen treten direkt aus dem Kopf hervor.
Label Text (eng)
Small Head with three Feet
Unidentified workshop of the Bronze Casters Guild Igun Eronmwon / Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, 16th/17th century / Brass / Acquired from John Paul Frisch, 1903, Inv. no. C 3692
This container probably served to store ritual medicine and most likely stood on an altar. The legs refer to Ofoe, the messenger of the death god Ogiuwu. The Edo people imagine Ofoe as disembodied with his limbs protruding directly from his head.