Sword (eben) / Artist Unknown, African, Nigeria, Benin

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About this Item

Record Details

Accession Number
1998/1.86
Title
Sword (eben)
Artist Nationality
Nigerian
Object Creation Date
20th century
Object Creation Place
Africa (continent)
Creation Place 1
Africa (continent)
Dimensions
15 cm x 100.2 cm x 22.2 cm (5 7/8 in. x 39 7/16 in. x 8 3/4 in.)
Century
20th century
Primary Object Classification
Arms and Armor
Primary Object Type
sword
Physical Description
Cast ceremonial sword. The "fan" shape is indicative of the royal eben type. The general shape may be derived from northern, Sahelian influences. The looped handle is also typical of the eben type.
Subject Matter
The eben sword form is highly regular, despite being wielded by many different individuals int he Benin kingdom. The creation and distribution of eben is controlled by the oba (Benin king), andits display signifies fealty to the monarchy. The regularity of the form represents the triumph of the kingdom's political constitution over the lesser forms of social organization.
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Technical Details

Image Size
1503 x 986
File Size
197 KB
Record
1998/1.86
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1998-sl-1.86/1998_1_86.jpg

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Manifest
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1998-SL-1.86:1998_1_86.JPG

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Full citation
"Sword (eben); Artist Unknown, African, Nigeria, Benin." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1998-sl-1.86/1998_1_86.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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