H x W x D: 106.7 x 33.4 x 14.5 cm (42 x 13 1/8 x 5 11/16 in.)
Type:
Sculpture
Geography:
Benin
Date:
Early to mid-20th century
Label Text:
Asen are altars dedicated by a family to a specific deceased individual or to several individuals. They function almost like visual obituaries, with particular emphasis on the relationship of the deceased to the donor and the surviving family. This asen is a double one, having two platforms with figures. The double format may be an example of inventiveness to commemorate two people or twins.
Despite the relatively small size of the present-day country of Benin, there are many different local styles of asen. Large-scale asen forged entirely from iron are considered to be from Ouidah. This asen is more typical of the royal city of Abomey. While the shaft is iron, it has both cast- and sheet-brass figures. It is in notably fine condition with none of the figures broken or missing. The use of cast-brass figures is associated with the Hontondji clan of smiths from Abomey. They create figures in a particularly elongated style. A family may buy the figures from the Hontondji and have another, cheaper smith make the rest of the asen, even using cut and painted recycled metal. However, the subject matter and the use of beads and brass suggest that cost was not a problem for this family. There are extra details such as the chased quatrefoils on the cones.
At this time it is not possible to date this asen more precisely than between 1900 and 1970. Until 1900 and the exile of King Agoliagbo, asen with tableaux were for royal use only. Undecorated staff-with-disk altars were being used by both commoners and royals by the mid-19th century. Since the 1890s, small figures similar to those on asen have been sold by Hontondji smiths to travelers, so tourist art production actually preceded an increase in local patronage. While it has not been researched, it would be logical to look for another increase in local asen use after April 1928. This is when the French government allowed King Behanzin's body to be returned from exile and a traditional funeral was held.
Iconography, right:
Dan Aido Hwedo, the rainbow serpent, is worshipped throughout Dahomey and can be found represented on asen, wall reliefs and appliquéd textiles. The representation on this asen is fairly typical: a slightly arching, striped snake with horns, created from sheet metal. The image has several meanings, and it might represent a pun. Since the same word means both rainbow and name, the rainbow serpent could be part of a reference to the donor's name and lineage. Dan assures a line's continuity by transmitting souls from sky to earth. Dan is both female and male and is associated with Mawu and Lisa, the female and male creators. The serpent is shown here atop a cross, the symbol of Mawu, the female part of the creator couple. This type of cross with embellished arms is often attributed to Afro-Brazilian influence. Dan also confers wealth and happiness and is associated with gold and iron, the latter being significant when considered with asen. The excrement of Dan is blue popo beads. The glass beads formed like cowrie shells obviously symbolize wealth, as do the cowrie shells themselves.
The awa is a flexible, curved metal blade attached to two wooden handles. It is used by woodworkers to gouge out unwanted material, like the interior of a drum, or by smiths to scrape a metal surface and polish it free of patina. On asen, an awa is a pun on "n wa," meaning "I have come." It represents the donor's promise to the deceased family member.
The man is more difficult to interpret. He is bare chested and wearing pants rather than a traditional wrapper. He wears a close-fitting cap rather than a big-brimmed hat. This is not the common representation of the deceased or donor as an elder. This figure wears a circular medallion (a chased design). He carries an animal-headed récade, suggestive of some status, and a large sword, probably a specific type of weapon, but always indicative of an affiliation with Gun, god of iron and war. He balances atop what appears to be a mortar, although it is not hollow like the usual representations of mortars on asen. The word for mortar has other meanings associated with the idea of place (village, city, country, inhabitants) and this pun is often shown on asen.
Iconography, left:
The braided rope is a common asen motif that refers to continuity of lineage. It can appear either connected to the disk or held by a figure, either by itself or with another object attached. On this asen, it has a trefoil-shaped, sheet-metal form and a second piece of braided barbed wire attached. It is likely that it is a reference to a specific family name in yet another pun, or to a Fon proverb.
The cross appears again on this disk, held by an arm. While this may still be a symbol of Mawu, the female part of the creator couple, it could be a reference to a particular individual, lineage or proverb. An arm holding something (a fish, a broom, a pot) appears on many asen and conveys a message that is now obscure. The symbol may be compared to some that appeared on royal asen. The asen dedicated by King Agoliagbo to his father Glele features a hand grasping a rope, almost literally a reference to Dahomey being in someone's hands. While ostensibly referring to the deceased king, the motif also reflects on the donor, lending legitimacy to a king appointed by the French on the basis of continuity of lineage. Le Herissé's 1911 drawings of palace wall reliefs show an arm gripping a cross in the panel dedicated to Agoliagbo, although he mentions only a leg on a stone as a royal reference.
The identity of the animal is also unclear at this time. It seems closer to dog or lion representations than to leopard or pig, but it is not exactly like any published example. The lion and the leopard have royal references. The dog and pig recall proverbs about relationships between donors and the deceased.
Description:
Altar composed of two inverted brass cones on an iron T-form staff. Cast and sheet metal figures are attached to platforms on top of the cones. Cowrie shells, glass beads in the form of cowrie shells and blue glass beads hang from the top and bottom of the cones.
Provenance:
Marvin Chasen , New York, 1970
Ernst Anspach, New York, 1970 to 1994
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.
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