Idiophon "bird of prophecy", before 1914 ·  Nigeria, Benin · ID: 3042431

Description

brass, round staff, crowned by bird sculpture with spread wings, stained patina, small traces of corrosion;
this idiophon would have been paraded and struck by chiefs at the annual ceremony of “ugie oro” to commemorate the Benin kingdom’s military victories. The long, curved beak would have been beaten with a brass rod. All attempts to identify the bird, known simply as the “bird of Oro”, have failed, leading to the conclusion that it may be wholly mythical. In its beak it carries a small object, interpreted as a medicine bundle.

The object Idiophon “bird of prophecy”, before 1914 with the object ID 3042431 was last part of the auction 86th Tribal Art Auction at May 27, 2017 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house. The object with the lot number 290 achieved a sales price of EUR 1,400.

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Comparing literature

Barley, Nigel, The Art of Benin, London 2010, p. 88

Publications

AHDRC: 0142268