Bell, Metal

Benin Chief Altar Bell (C)

Nigeria
Edo

Bronze
Possible late 17th-early 18th century

Height: 33cm / 13cm / 13cm
Idiophone - Struck Directly - Bell

Benin brass bells, like rattle staffs, were an essential element of ancestral altars. They are rung by the descendants, in order to summons the ancestor to listen to prayers and share in the offerings. Unique to the Benin Bells is their form of a truncated, four-sided pyramid. The more elaborate the bell, the higher the rank of the ancestor. This Royal Benin Altar Bell, cast in bronze by the lost wax process, shows a warrior standing atop the bell, holding a tapper and a scepter. Here the specific role of this ancestor is identified by the held objects and pose (posture reveals attitude). Depicted on the front and back sides of the bell are the symbolic mudfish (associated withe sea), crocodiles, and a rattle-staff surmounted by a clenched fist, an object used to summon the royal ancestral spirits. The three Benin altar bells (A,B,C) shown in this collection were held in a vaulted private collection since the late 1940's, hence, the condition of these pieces remain unchanged from the time of there original acquisition.

Owner:
Catalog#: AF-IDST-15

© Hartenberger World Music Collection