HISTOIRE d’objet 134 Urhobo Art. (New York and Ghent: Museum for African Art, 2004). 4. Erivwo, op. cit., pp. 195–226. 5. Peter Ekeh, “Urhobo World View,” in Foss, op. cit., 2004, p. 30. 6. For an extended discussion of these comments, see Foss, op. cit., p. 83ff. 7. The arrangement of these weapons recalls those held by soldiers depicted in the commemorative plaques made in the fifteenth century by bronze casters of the empire of Benin, some 150 kilometers to the north. Benin has had a close relationship with Urhobo for many hundreds of years. Culturally, linguistically, and commercially they have maintained important connections. The fact that their military imagery parallels each other also suggests a close connection. 8. The artist of this statue was exceptionally skilled at rendering minute detail. Especially notable is the stitching of the leather amulets that appear at the chest and the waist. In addition, the top hat contains a detail not seen in any other known example: Its band is embellished with an elaborately rendered rosette. 9. One such hat, worn by a local dignitary in the 1970s, appears in Foss op. cit., p. 74, fig. 79. Thanks go to Bruce Onobrakpeya for identifying the “inner cap.” 10. Such teeth seem analogous to the leopard teeth worn at the neck of Benin soldiers. While the relationship seems a reasonable overlap between two related populations, more work needs to be done here. See William Fagg, Nigerian Images (New York and London, 1963), plates 21 and 27. type of riverbank clay (enakpa). The male likely once had similar treatment but it is now largely absent. This may be due to natural weathering or the surface may have been “cleansed” in an attempt to make it more attractive to a Western audience some time after the sculpture was removed from the shrine. The reunion of these works provides an opportunity to appreciate clearly the powerful design and execution of a master hand, one who offers us an understanding of the best of Urhobo form and style. As a pair, they provide a rare opportunity to see the relationship between two superior statues, male and female, complementary examples of Urhobo creativity. NOTES 1. Samuel U. Erivwo, “Urhobo Traditional Beliefs and Values,” in Peter Ekeh, ed., Studies in Urhobo Culture. (Buffalo: Urhobo Historical Society, 2005), p. 190. 2. My most sincere thanks go to Bruce Onobrakpeya, a lifetime friend who has time and again offered his insight, counsel, and advice on correct Urhobo nomenclature. 3. The earliest reference in the literature for this term is R. E. Bradbury, The Benin Kingdom and the Edo-Speaking Peoples of South-Western Nigeria (London: International African Institute, 1957), p. 103, who notes that the term “edjo” itself “often refers specifically to ‘wooden images.’” For an overview of Urhobo art, see Perkins Foss, Where Gods and Mortals Meet: Continuity and Renewal in FIG. 7: The shrine for Edjo Ovughere. Ovu-Otor, southern Nigeria, February 1966. Photo: Perkins Foss.
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