Bell

Object Details

Lower Niger Bronze Industry

Label Text

According to the publication Bronzes de l'Afrique Noire, all objects found in the ground or in the water belong to the Urhienu society and when found must be turned over to them and placed at their orhan, or shrine for medicine. The publication further states that "the belief stems from a mystical encounter said to have been experienced by one Ufi, a poor fisherwoman who collected an unusually large and 'strangely shaped' piece of chalk in her basket-trap and tried without success to throw it back into the river. That night, she and her husband received a 'divine visitation' from a man who said 'Me vwe oorhe ren Urhienu.' (I am the white chalk of the celestial river. I am the god of iron and justice)."

Perkins Foss attributes bells such as this to the Urhobo area of Nigeria, noting that they are considered by the Urhobo as "sacred gifts or messages from the world of the spirits."

Since, according to Foss, "spirits come from water," this seems to corroborate the above information.

Bells with faces are more commonly found than this version. However, this bell features frog-like creatures that may also relate to water and the spirit world.

Description

Flat topped bell with bands of v decoration, circular bosses and frog-like creatures.

Provenance

Philippe Guimiot, Paris, 1974

Emile M. Deletaille, Brussels, 1974 to 1985

Published References

Jacob, Alain. 1974. Bronzes de l'Afrique noire. Paris: Muse´e de l'Homme, p. 8.

Content Statement

As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.

Image Requests

High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/

Credit Line

Museum purchase

17th-19th century

Object number

85-1-5

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Sculpture

Medium

Copper alloy

Dimensions

H x W x D: 16.2 x 11.9 x 11.6 cm (6 3/8 x 4 11/16 x 4 9/16 in.)

Geography

Nigeria

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

National Museum of African Art

Topic

frog

male

Record ID

nmafa_85-1-5

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys735988338-5976-445e-93b5-0f8e3916ca1d