African Art

Eresoyen

Eresoyen, also spelt Eresonyen, was the twenty-ninth Oba (king) of the Kingdom of Benin who reigned in the eighteenth century, generally dated to c. 1735 – c. 1750. He was the eldest son of Oba Akenzua I and succeeded him on the throne. Eresoyen's reign is noted for reinforcing royal authority following earlier decentralisation, marked by renewed territorial control and direct participation in Atlantic trade. His rule was associated by oral traditions with the large-scale use of cowrie shells as currency and with artistic patronage, including the construction of the Owigho ("House of Money") and support for brass casting. Eresoyen also introduced ritual changes, such as replacing the Ovia masquerade with the Ododua masquerade, and restructured royal marriage practices while creating new titles within the court. He died c. 1750 and was succeeded by his son, Ogiomo who was later known as Oba Akengbuda.

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See also

• ▸1782
• ▸Canadian Coast Guard
• ▸1856

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Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.