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Object Label

Bochio are very powerful and very personal objects. An individual may make one for protection, to harm an enemy, or to ensure personal success. The bochio is made in secret, so that only the owner knows its composition and purpose. Some materials, however, have consistent functions. This piece, for instance, includes a duck's bill, believed to contain the power to silence one's enemies. Using the long, pointed iron base, the individual plants the bochio in the ground in front of a shrine or in some other spiritually significant location.

Caption

Fon. Bocio, 19th century. Wood, iron, duck’s bill, human jawbone, fiber, organic matter, 15 x 3 x 3 1/2 in. (38.1 x 7.6 x 8.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund, 49.45. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

Arts of Africa

Culture

Fon

Title

Bocio

Date

19th century

Geography

Place made: Benin

Medium

Wood, iron, duck’s bill, human jawbone, fiber, organic matter

Classification

Sculpture

Dimensions

15 x 3 x 3 1/2 in. (38.1 x 7.6 x 8.9 cm)

Credit Line

Museum Expedition 1922, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund

Accession Number

49.45

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