Cloche "okpogo ilo" ("Igala bell")
Nigéria, Igala
Vendu
950 €
Provenance
Ursula Heijs-Voorhuis, Sint Agatha, The NetherlandsTaille
H: 22 cm
H: 8.7 inch
Description
copper alloy (bronze, brass),
These bells are mainly associated with the Igala Kingdom.
They were kept in ancestor shrines belonging to titled clan leaders, where they could be used to “call” the ancestors and petition their aid. Even today, similar bells can be found in the treasure of the Ata (king) of Idah.
Beyond the Igala, this particular kind of bell has been documented among a number of Lower and Middle Benue peoples and others in southeastern Nigeria.