figure (art); emblem

Edan – one of a male and female pair of brass figures, usually on iron spikes and joined by a brass chain. The Yoruba edan is the primary emblem of the Ogboni Society. It is worn as an emblem of office with the connecting chain round the back of the neck and the two figures facing forward against the wearer’s chest.

Edan – one of a male and female pair of brass figures, usually on iron spikes and joined by a brass chain. The Yoruba edan is the primary emblem of the Ogboni Society. It is worn as an emblem of office with the connecting chain round the back of the neck and the two figures facing forward against the wearer’s chest. The Ogboni society is one of the most important associations that assist a Yoruba king in his rule. Members include both male and female elders who devote themselves to Onile (deity of the earth). The Ogboni is controlled by the senior elders of a Yoruba town and it constituted the principal judicial authority of the Yoruba. In the past it tried criminals and removed despotic kings from office. Leaders of the Ogboni Society still control the selection, inauguration and burial of kings and so wield significant power in Yoruba society.

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database sometimes uses language taken from historical documents to help research, which may now appear outdated and even offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections or can suggest corrections to our information, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk