SculptureEdo17th-18th century

Hand-held Clapper with Bird of Prophecy

17th-18th century

Artists

Unidentified ArtistArtist

Description

This work is one of the bronze, ivory and wooden artworks broadly known as the “Benin Bronzes."

Classification

Sculpture

Technique

Cast, lost-wax process

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Edo

Century

17th-18th century

Division

European and American Art

Department

Department of Paintings, Sculpture & Decorative Arts

Dimensions

30.2 x 12.1 x 8.9 cm (11 7/8 x 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 in.)

Provenance

The royal palace, Benin City; probably taken by British forces during the British colonial military campaign on Benin City, 1897. [1] Lois Dailey Orswell, Pomfret Center, CT, by 1972, gift; to the Harvard University Art Museums, 1988 [1] While we do not have documentation of this work’s presence in Benin City in 1897, due to the nature of this object, it is unlikely that it left at any other time. As part of our commitment to the ethical stewardship of our collections, we are dedicated to building relationships with objects' cultures of origin. The Harvard Art Museums and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard, which also stewards Benin Bronzes, are part of the Digital Benin project, a reparative resource that documents the looted royal artefacts taken in 1897. Through this project, we are committed to providing access to Benin Bronzes and engaging in conversations about the stewardship of these important Edo artefacts.