Object Details
- Description
- Print depicting a scene from the royal court of Benin in Nigeria. In it, 5 men are standing. At the center, one man raises his arms to place a crown upon another’s head. The other attendants hold ceremonial fans or staffs. On the back is a handwritten note to Warren M. Robbins, NMAfA’s founding director, on the occasion of his visit to Nigeria in February, 1982
- Provenance
- Object was offered to NMAfA for donation by Africare. Upon receipt at museum, an inscription was on the reverse that reads "To Warren Robbins on the occasion of his visit to Nigeria." Given that it was ascertained that another print by Onobrakpeya had been on loan to Africare, and not donated, and that Africare did not have paperwork on either object, Senior Curator Karen Milbourne and Brad Simpson (NMAfA digital specialist and former Warren Robbins Center employee) consulted with Robbins' widow, Lydia Pucinelli. She confirmed that Robbins had loaned objects to Africare, but not donated. As the insciption on the verso indicated that this artwork had eben given directly by the artist to Warren Robbins, last clear title was to him, The museumthen accepted the artwork as a gift in memory of Warren Robbins, and notified Africare, who has not contested.
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Bruce Onobrakpeya, born 1932, Nigeria
- Date
- 1981
- Credit Line
- In memory of Warren Robbins
- Medium
- Zinc plate
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 69.9 × 51.4 cm (27 1/2 × 20 1/4 in.)
- H x W x D (frame): 71.1 × 52.7 × 2.9 cm (28 × 20 3/4 × 1 1/8 in.)
- Type
