Palace Plaque — Royal Messenger, 16th century — Ethnologisches Museum Berlin (restituted 2022)

Cast brass palace plaque depicting a royal messenger (emada) carrying a message-staff, 16th century CE. Messengers were important court figures in the Benin administrative system, carrying the Oba's authority to provincial chiefs and foreign powers. This work was among the objects whose legal ownership was formally transferred from Germany to Nigeria in July 2022.