Bell

Object Details

Benin kingdom court style

Edo artist

Label Text

This type of bell, identified by its distinctive four-sided, flat-topped shape, was once placed on an ancestral altar in the royal palace. Its shape is thought to resemble the palace roof turrets. Benin Kingdom warriors wore smaller versions of these bells on their chests, as can be seen on the plaques that formerly covered the piers in the palace courtyard. The sound of the bells identified Benin Kingdom warriors in battle, served as a sign of the spiritual protection of the king and spread terror among the enemy.

Description

Cast copper alloy four-sided flat topped bell with iron clapper.

Provenance

Joseph H. Hirshhorn, Greenwich, Connecticut, before 1979

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1979 to 1985

Exhibition History

Slavery and Freedom, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 24, 2016 (ongoing)

Chief S.O. Alonge: Photographer to the Royal Court of Benin, Nigeria, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., September 17, 2014-July 31, 2016

Life...Afterlife: African Funerary Sculpture, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 1981-March 1, 1982

Published References

Freyer, Bryna. 1987. Royal Benin Art in the Collection of the National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, p. 42, no. 10.

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 Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks.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

Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn to the Smithsonian Institution in 1979

18th century

Object number

85-19-22

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Sculpture

Medium

Copper alloy, iron

Dimensions

H x W x D: 21.6 x 12.1 x 12.1 cm (8 1/2 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 in.)

Geography

Nigeria

See more items in

National Museum of African Art Collection

Object Name

erowo

National Museum of African Art

Topic

Shrine/Altar

male

mask

Record ID

nmafa_85-19-22

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys78aa123f1-7398-4dc8-87d3-d49ac0f17cd9