Staff Head
AF5085
Location: On Display in the Africa Galleries
From: Nigeria | Benin Kingdom
Curatorial Section: African
View All (11) Object Images
Add to My Finds +
Object Number
AF5085
Current Location
Africa Galleries - On Display
Culture
Edo (Africa)
Provenience
Nigeria | Benin Kingdom
Date Made
19th century CE
Section
African
Materials
Copper Alloy | Brass
Technique
Lost Wax Casting
Iconography
Ibis | Bird
Description
Bird of prophecy (ahiamwen-oro) idiophone. Bird with long down turned beak and outstreched wings perched on top finial. Two guilloche pattern bands at top and bottom of finial.
Height
30.7 cm
Width
9.6 cm
Credit Line
Purchased from W. O. Oldman, 1920
Current & Past Exhibitions
Bibliography
Hall, Henry U. "Great Benin Royal Altar ." The Museum Journal 13, no. 2. (1922): 105-168. See: p. 160, fig. 72
View related objects
Herbert, Eugenia W. Red Gold Copper Arts of Africa . Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, 1984. See: p. 55, fig. 42
View related objects
Quick, Jennifer. Magnificent Objects from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
View related objects
Curnow, Kathy. Guide to the Benin Collection at the Penn Museum . Philadelphia: Questor | UPMAA, 2024. Page/Fig./Plate: 132 See: p. 41, fig. 45
View related objects
Report problems and issues to digitalmedia@pennmuseum.org .
