Ẹroro are an important part of the spiritual worship of Benin people. They are lined along the front of the ancestral altar and are used to summon the ancestors to join their descendants and partake in the ceremony.

In English, the term bell is used to describe the objects described as Ẹroro as well as 

. Most bells are Ẹroro and are made from brass and less commonly ivory. The clappers can be made of brass/bronze, iron, bone or wood. Ẹroro, which are quadrangular in form, were also depicted in other objects, such as plaques and sculptures of individuals. These offer an insight into how such objects were used and indeed worn, usually as part of regalia worn by the Ọba, chiefs and warriors. For example, quadrangular bells are seen being worn around the necks of warriors on relief plaques.

Ẹroro

Many bells from the Kingdom of Benin are held in museum collections today. Among these, Digital Benin researchers have identified two kinds: Ẹroro and Aza.

Bells are made from brass and, less commonly, ivory, and the clappers are made of brass/bronze, iron, bone or wood. The ringing of bells was critical to summon spirits and ancestors, and bells are also one of the typical altar objects which would furnish ancestral altars. Quadrangular bells were also depicted on plaques and sculptures of individuals. These offer an insight into how such objects were used and even worn, usually as part of the regalia worn of the Ọba, chiefs and warriors. For example, quadrangular bells are seen around the necks of warriors on relief plaques.

Bell

France

Website

Online Catalogue

Musée de la musique, Cité de la Musique - Philharmonie de Paris

Internal Data (fre)

Wikidata Link

Tarn, Pauline Mary

Collector

Donor

Suggestion: The word juju in itself is not harmful in as much as it refers to the belief system. It can be used in a harmful or derogatory way and is context dependent. Please assess the context of this word as a user of the platform.

 more about the background of this statement here.

juju 

Suggestion: Replace with, “a person of short stature,” “little person” or "someone with dwarfism". (See 

Read more about the background of this statement here.

dwarf

Suggestion: Replace with First Nations, First people, or particular community name. (See 

aboriginal

Suggestion: Replace with the name of the particular community and delete where it is used to reference an already identified group, e.g Igbo ~~tribe.~~

tribe

This word was redacted from the catalogue as a derogatory racialised word.

DB_redacted_word

Suggestion: Be as specific as possible in terms of country, population etc. (See 

non-western

western-art

western museum

tribal

hofzwerg

For more information on this term and its violent and inherently harmful context to indigenous communities, see 

British Colonial Military Campaign on Benin, February 1897

expedition

exotic

negro

Suggestion: Replace with the word Africa.

Black Africa

Warning: This word is used in a historic context of a title for a book, exhibition, institution name or book description etc. We recognise the potential for the material to cause physical and mental distress as well as evoke strong emotions. The material within the catalogue does not represent Digital Benin’s views. Digital Benin maintains a strong anti-colonial, anti-racist position and affirms its support for centring the humanity of historically marginalised and disenfranchised communities.

Read more about the background of this statement here

primitive

Suggestion: Replace with traditional healer, spiritual healer, or specific name that particular communities use to define this role. (See 

medicine man

Suggestion: Replace in cases where it used to describe human beings, with the term indigenous communities, first people or particular community name.