Court of Benin, Nigeria
Edo

Bronze
Pre-20th century
Height: 11 inches
Aerophone – Lip Vibrated – Horn

The Edo or Benin people is an ethnic group primarily found in Edo State, Nigeria. At the top of this African Bronze trumpet is a small human face in relief, bordered on the top and bottom by bands. The features of the face reveal well-formed eyes with large pupils, a broad nose and a slightly opened mouth. From the center of the lower band a hand protrudes above a snake which lifts its head to touch the extended fingers. The snake’s twisting body reaches to just above the rectangular mouth opening, then continues down the conical shaped tube, past the opening. There are parallel loops on each side of the face, with 16 on one side and 17 on the other. Benin witchdoctors, called “ebo,” and diviners use similar side-blown trumpets of ivory, known as “oko,” to combat negative forces, or to call witches in order to offer them food as a means to satisfy them. It is interesting to note that the face resembles those found on bronze objects from one of sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest cities, Djenne dating to as early as the 12th Century A.D.