Commemorative Head of an Oba
| Culture | Edo |
|---|---|
| Title | Commemorative Head of an Oba (Uhunmwun-Elao) |
| Date | 17th century |
| Medium | Brass |
| Dimensions | Object: 11 1/2 × 8 in. (29.2 × 20.3 cm) Overall: 11 1/2 x 8 in. (29.2 x 20.3 cm) |
| Credit Line | Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 75.98 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A brass head with an elaborate headdress and wide neck rings that extend from the lower lip of the mouth down to the bottom of the object. The head has long strands of hair that come out from under the headdress and reach down almost to the bottom of the object.
This uhunwun elao depicts an oba (king) of the Benin Kingdom. The opening on the top would have held an ivory tusk when placed at an ancestral altar. The artist used idealized facial features, a beaded coral necklace, and brass to convey wealth and prestige.
In 1897, British officials raided Benin City and looted the Benin Kingdom’s palace, taking thousands of royal objects back to Britain. These works eventually entered public and private collections worldwide. Today, artworks commonly known as “Benin bronzes” have become central to current debates on the restitution of African artworks from museum collections. Provenance records do not indicate if this object was among the looted artworks. Records of more recent ownership trace this artwork’s history to an arts dealer in London before a Los Angeles–based collector purchased the work in the 1940s. The Eskenazi Museum later purchased this sculpture in 1975 from Merton D. Simpson. We are committed to transparency in sharing collection histories and will update this text as new information comes to light.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
Request this image
The Eskenazi Museum of Art provides images of its collection, free of charge, upon request.
This artwork is under copyright protection. You can request the image and it will be emailed to you when the request is complete.
Cite this page
"Commemorative Head of an Oba | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=75.98