A pair of Yoruba “edan ogboni”, ceremonial bronze heads, Nigeria; connected with a chain and mounted to a wooden plinth. Signs of oxidation, use and age. The prestigious Ogboni society includes both male and female elders. Ogboni elders would wear edan Ogboni draped over their necks. Although the functions of the Ogboni society have narrowed considerably in recent decades, members traditionally select, install and bury kings, judge criminal cases, and issue punishments, including the removal of delinquent kings. Edan Ogboni function as public signs of the society’s power. For example, a messenger of the Ogboni greets the recipient of the communication by tapping the edan on his forehead then chest. The recipient acknowledges the authority and message of the Ogboni by doing the same. Other functions of the edan object include its protective use: the edan may not be crossed if it is placed at a building threshold. Conversely, because Ogboni members had the power to punish, the edan thrust into the ground signified a death sentence. Typically, the come in pairs and include a male and female figure, representing the necessary connection between the sexes. Even the materials used to make an edan symbolize the importance of both sexes; the edan are made from cast bronze (a material associated with women and female deities), but each figure has a clay and iron core (the latter material associated with men and male deities). Much of Yoruba figurative art depicts faces with prominent, elliptical eyes. Source: Cornell University. MAZ07328 "I believe that the import of all art objects from Africa—whether copies or originals—should be prohibited to protect Africa." Quote: Prof. Dr. Viola König, former director of the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, now HUMBOLDTFORUM Legal Framework Under the 1970 UNESCO Convention in combination with the Kulturgutschutz Gesetz (KGSG) any claim for the restitution of cultural property becomes time-barred three years after the competent authorities of the State of origin obtain knowledge of the object’s location and the identity of its possessor. All bronzes and terracotta items offered have been publicly exhibited in Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery since 2001. Organisations such as DIGITAL BENIN and academic institutions such as the Technical University of Berlin, which have been intensively involved in restitution-reseaches (translocation-project) over the past seven years, are aware of our work, have inspected large parts of our collection and have visited us in our dependance in Lomé, Togo, among other places, to learn about the international Art trade on site. Furthermore, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Abuja, Nigeria, has been informed about our collection. In no case in the past have there been restitution claims against private institutions such as the Wolfgang Jaenicke Gallery Our Gallery addresses these structural challenges through a policy of maximum transparency and documentation. Should any questions or uncertainties arise, we invite you to contact us. Each matter will be reviewed diligently using all available resources. Height: 21 cm incl. plinth Weight: 470 g incl. plinth