Ceremonial Sword of State (Ada), 17th century — National Museum Lagos
Iron and brass ceremonial sword of state (ada) from the royal treasury of the Kingdom of Benin, 17th century CE. The ada is the Oba's sword of authority, held by chiefs at ceremonies to signal royal presence. The National Museum Lagos holds a substantial collection of Benin regalia that was not seized in 1897 (returned to Nigeria by various means, or preserved locally). This work represents the Nigerian-held counterpart to the diaspora Benin collection in European institutions.
Scholarly Significance
Benin Bronzes Axis-3 expansion — ceremonial sword of state retained in Nigeria, held at National Museum Lagos. Demonstrates that not all Benin royal regalia was seized; a significant portion was retained or recovered by Nigeria, important for comparative custody provenance analysis.