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THBBenin Kingdom 19th C. Cowhide Fan Oba Court Ceremony
Lot 41a
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$800 - $1,200
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| $300 | $50 |
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| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
Set Reminder
2025-08-22 10:00:00
2025-08-22 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa Fe, NM
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/indigenous-art---ralph-t-coe-center-santa-fe-nm-20324
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
View Full Catalog (452)
- Lot Description
West Africa, Nigeria, Kingdom of Benin, Edo culture, ca. mid to late 19th century CE. A ceremonial fan crafted from cowhide, with the hair preserved on the surface, and a central wooden handle wrapped in dark leather. The circular perimeter is edged with strips of lighter-toned leather, while appliqued red cotton panels - covered with green-dyed hide and detailed leather stitching - decorate the surface. These panels feature reptilian snake motifs and stylized representations of horses or other ungulate animals. While serving a practical purpose - providing cooling relief and warding off insects - they also functioned as conspicuous emblems of elite status, carried in ceremonial processions as powerful symbols of the Oba's (king's) prestige, referencing his omnipresence and divine authority. This example exhibits wear consistent with ritual use and endures as a rare, evocative artifact of royal symbolism within the Edo court tradition. Size: 13.5" L x 19" H (34.3 cm x 48.3 cm); 20.5" H (52.1 cm) on included custom stand.
Exhibited: October 3 - December 15, 2002 "Selections from the Ralph T. Coe Collection of African Art," Allen Memorial Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, USA.
Exhibited: "Hands on... Culture Shock!," Ralph T. Coe Foundation for the Arts, Santa Fe, NM, Hands-On Curatorial Program 2015 (April 25 - December 31, 2015);
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; ex-Ralph T. Coe personal collection; acquired in 1999 from Taylor Dale (TAD) Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#196432Some losses to hairs, fraying to leather trim on the edges. Some fading to cloth and hide, but otherwise excellent.Condition
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