Borders Project-Post #3

My previous blog post extended the questions raised in the first post concerning the Portrait of the Duchess of Portsmouth (1682) by Pierre Mignard. In particular, I discussed the trade of red coral between European and African countries and how that related to the painting and the overall theme of borders. I also talked about the use of red coral in the art historical tradition with respect to Italian art. The scope of this post will include an historical perspective about the Oba of Benin (referring to Benin City in Nigeria, not the country of Benin), a discussion of the use of red coral by the Oba in the Kingdom of Benin and how that persists today, and how the Queen Mother of the Oba used coral beads.

The Oba is the monarch in Benin, his absolute authority only slightly rivaled by high-ranking priests (Ben-Amos, 9, 98). The Oba is the chief political and religious leader in Benin (Plankensteiner, 8). The first Oba was reportedly Oba Ewuare in the 15^th century, and he was known as a warrior king (Ben-Amos, 32). The Oba derives his power to rule from his descent from Oranmiyan, the legendary founder of Benin (Ben-Amos, 9). Oranmiyan was a prince of the Yoruba Kingdom of Ife who was invited by the Benin elders to replace their previous rulers, the Ogiso, under which they were very dissatisfied (Ben-Amos, 9). The Oba’s most immediate heir is his eldest son, though the position does not always come from family lineage (Ben-Amos, 9). The mother of the king is also highly respected and given the title of Queen Mother (Iyoba; Ben-Amos, 12).

The royal regalia of the Oba include coral beads in a variety of uses, including draping strings of beads and necklaces as well as a shirt made of coral beads strung together, as can be seen in the images of Oba Akuenzua II and Oba Erediauwa. Another important use of coral beads is in the construction of the coral crown of the Oba, which can also be seen with Oba Akuenzua II and Oba Erediauwa. The Oba’s coral regalia originated from the first Oba Ewuare, who was said to have stolen the beads belonging to Olokun (god of the waters; Ben-Amos, 33). Only the Oba can wear this coral outfit and he only wears it at Igue and Ugie Erka Oba, the two main ceremonies of his divine kingship (Plankensteiner, 7; Ben-Amos, 30, 92). Not only is the coral exclusive to the Oba position, but it is also the source of his authority (Ben-Amos, 69). The royal coral beads give the Oba the power of ase—whatever is said with them will eventually occur—which the Oba never does not invoke anymore (Ben-Amos, 92). The coral beads are highly important to the Oba and he wears them as a representation of the power of his position and a reminder of the lineage of that power.

Aside from the Oba, the Queen Mother also wears coral beads, as can be seen in the image of Iyoba Aghahowa N’Errua (wife of Oba Akuenzua II and mother of Oba Erediauwa). The Iyoba, as stated before, is the mother of the Oba—more specifically, this title is meant to distinguish the wife of the former Oba who gave birth to his first son who eventually became Oba (Kaplan, 55). The best known Iyoba is Idia, the mother of Oba Esigie from the early 16^th century, who named Idia the first Iyoba (Kaplan, 55). In the instance of the Iyoba (using the image of Iyoba Aghahowa N’Errua), the use of coral beads in her headband, collar, anklets, and bandolier is a statement of her status, as it relates to the current Oba, her son, and the previous Oba, her deceased husband (Kaplan, 57). The Iyoba does not wear the full outfit of red coral like the Oba, but does wear her own assortment of accessories made of coral to connect herself with the Oba.

The Oba position in the Kingdom of Benin has a long history, one that is directly intertwined with the red coral traded in Benin and other African countries with European countries. The Oba wears a full outfit of red coral, a tradition which persists today, to signify his status as king. The Iyoba also wears red coral, but in a different manner than the Oba, to denote her position as the Queen Mother of the Oba. Overall, the red coral is used in a much different and culturally significant manner as compared to how it is depicted in Italian art.

References Cited

         Ben-Amos, Paula Girshick. The Art of Benin. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1995. Print.

      

             Kaplan, Flora Edouwaye S. “Images of the Queen Mother in Benin Court Art.” African Arts 26.3 (1993): 54-63, 86-88.

     

       Plankensteiner, Barbara. Benin. Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2010. Print.