Sword (eben) / Artist Unknown, African, Nigeria, Benin
About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1998/1.86
- Title
- Sword (eben)
- Artist Nationality
- Nigerian
- Medium and Support
- metal blade with ivory, leather and cloth covered handle
- Object Creation Date
- 20th century
- Object Creation Place
- Africa (continent)
- Creation Place 1
- Africa (continent)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Susan B. and John F. Ullrich
- 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.
- Secondary Keywords
- african
- ancient african styles and periods
- ancient west african styles and periods
- aristocracy
- ceremonial weapons
- descriptors
- groups of people
- nigerian
- nobility
- object genres
- object genres by material
- objects we use
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- social classes
- social classes by specific type
- social groups
- styles and periods
- styles and periods by region
- upper class
- weapons
- weapons and ammunition
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- 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
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1998-SL-1.86
Cite this Item
View the Help Guide for more information.
- 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 May 24, 2025.
