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Cleveland Museum of Art
The data was downloaded via a public data access of the institution.
Last Updated: 2021-02-13
Language: English
accession_numberObject ID
1953.425
130708
titleDesignation
Plaque
digital_descriptionDescription
tombstoneDescription
Plaque, 1500s-1600s. Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igun Eronmwon (royal brasscasters) guild. Copper alloy; overall: 49.4 x 30.6 cm (19 7/16 x 12 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1953.425
wall_descriptionDescription
Craftsmen modeled brass plaques like this in wax before casting them with hot metal. Molds pushed out figures’ general shapes, then details—such as this warrior’s staff and court sword (ẹbẹn)—were added by hand. Reflecting Benin’s global connections, the incised flowers may have Islamic or European origins. Called ebe-amẹn (river leaves) they are identified with Olókun, god of the waters. The interlaced side motifs may connect several early plaques also linked by topic and style. The palace plaques were in storage before the 1897 Siege of Benin. Recently, an art historian virtually reconstructed their former display in the palace based on their dimensions and imagery.
dimensions/diameter/widthDimensions
dimensions/overall/depthDimensions
dimensions/overall/heightDimensions
0.494
dimensions/overall/widthDimensions
0.306
measurementsDimensions
Overall: 49.4 x 30.6 cm (19 7/16 x 12 1/16 in.)
typeObject Type
Sculpture
creation_dateDate Made
1500s-1600s
creation_date_earliestDate Made
1500
creation_date_latestDate Made
1699
techniqueProduction Technique
Copper alloy
creditlinePrior Source
John L. Severance Fund
provenance/0/dateProvenance
1500s-1600s
provenance/0/descriptionProvenance
Commissioned from the Igun Eronmwon
provenance/1/dateProvenance
c. 1857-1897
provenance/1/descriptionProvenance
by descent to Ọba Ovọnramwẹn (Ovọnramwẹn Nogbaisi, [c. 1857–1914, r. 1888–97], Royal Palace, Benin City, until the Siege of Benin (1897)
provenance/2/dateProvenance
?-?
provenance/2/descriptionProvenance
possibly Sir Admiral Rawson
provenance/3/dateProvenance
?-1953
provenance/3/descriptionProvenance
(John Wise Ltd., New York City, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH)
provenance/4/dateProvenance
1953-
provenance/4/descriptionProvenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
provenance/5/dateProvenance
provenance/5/descriptionProvenance
provenance/6/descriptionProvenance
provenance/7/dateProvenance
provenance/7/descriptionProvenance
provenance/8/dateProvenance
provenance/8/descriptionProvenance
cultureEthnic Attribution
Nigeria, Benin Kingdom, Ẹdo peoples, members of the Igun Eronmwon (royal brasscasters) guild
collectionDepartment and Institution
African Art
current_locationDepartment and Institution
108A Sub-Saharan
departmentDepartment and Institution
African Art
fun_factNotes
exhibitions/current/0/descriptionExhibition History
exhibitions/current/0/idExhibition History
exhibitions/current/0/opening_dateExhibition History
exhibitions/current/0/titleExhibition History
exhibitions/current/1/descriptionExhibition History
exhibitions/current/1/idExhibition History
exhibitions/current/1/opening_dateExhibition History
exhibitions/current/1/titleExhibition History
exhibitions/legacyExhibition History
citations/0/citationBibliography
Brooklyn Museum. Masterpieces of African Art. Exhibition Dates: October 21, 1954-January 2, 1955. [Brooklyn]: Brooklyn Museum, 1954.
citations/0/page_numberBibliography
Mentioned: p. 41; Reproduced: no. 58
citations/0/urlBibliography
citations/1/citationBibliography
The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.
citations/1/page_numberBibliography
Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 384
citations/1/urlBibliography
citations/2/citationBibliography
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
citations/2/page_numberBibliography
Reproduced: p. 302
citations/2/urlBibliography
citations/3/citationBibliography
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
citations/3/page_numberBibliography
Reproduced: p. 302
citations/3/urlBibliography
citations/4/citationBibliography
Wixom, WIlliam D. "African Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art." African Arts. 10, no. 3. (April 1977) 16-25.
citations/4/page_numberBibliography
Mentioned: p. 19; Reproduced: p. 25, fig 13.
citations/4/urlBibliography
citations/5/citationBibliography
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
citations/5/page_numberBibliography
Reproduced: p. 411
citations/5/urlBibliography
citations/6/citationBibliography
Gunsch, Kathryn Wysocki. The Benin Plaques: A 16th Century Imperial Monument. London : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.
citations/6/page_numberBibliography
Mentioned: p. 99; Reproduced: p. 100, fig. 5.37
citations/6/urlBibliography
citations/7/citationBibliography
citations/7/page_numberBibliography
share_license_statusLicense
CC0
images/full/filenameImages
1953.425_full.tif
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images/full/heightImages
10131
images/full/widthImages
6601
images/print/filenameImages
1953.425_print.jpg
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images/print/heightImages
3400
images/print/widthImages
2215
images/web/filenameImages
1953.425_web.jpg
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images/web/heightImages
900
images/web/widthImages
586