[…?]; By 1898: Gift, with its identical pendant, of Consul E. Schmidt to Emperor Wilhelm II Of Germany; Date unknown: Gift of the pair of pitchers by Wilhelm II to his personal doctor, Dr. Gerhard Merx; 1952: Sale of the pair to the Museum of Völkerkunde (now Museum Fünf Kontinente), Munich by dealer Ludwig Brettschneider, Munich; 1956: Deaccessioning of one pitcher by the Munich Museum; Fall of 1957: Sold by dealer Ernst Kofler, Luzern to Mia
While the Minneapolis and Munich leopard pitchers formed a pair, separated in 1956, they appear to have slightly different hues. This may be related to their different chemical composition, which transpires from documents kept at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Museum Fünf Kontinente in Munich.
From Registration: If this piece travels in the future, note that it needs to be packed upright, either supported on its feet or suspended from the midsection. It should not ride on its side. The problem is that sandy matrix shakes loose from inside and would be very abrasive in travel against the piece. Contact between this sand and the bronze should be minimalized as much as possible.
* "The Classical Art of Africa," organized by Duveen-Graham, New York, in cooperation with the Minneapolis Institute of Art; New York November 26 - December 14, 1957, Minneapolis January 8 - February 9, 1958
* "Masterpieces of African and Oceanic Art," Des Moines Art Center, Greenwood Park, Des Moines, Iowa. February - March, 1962
* "Africa and the Renaissance: Art in Ivory," Center for African Art, New York, Nov. 16, 1988 - April 9, 1989
* "Animals in African Art: From the Familiar to the Marvelous," Museum for African Art, New York, March 31 - December 31, 1995; Mint Museum, Charlotte, October 26, 1996 - January 5, 1997; Dallas Museum of Art, February 2 - April 27, 1997
* Duveen-Graham Modern Gallery. 1957. The Classical Art of Africa, cat. 45 and p. 1. New York
* A. Clark and S. Sachs II. 1966. "The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1915-1965," in Archaeology Magazine, vol. 19/1, p. 10
* Susan Vogel and Carol Thompson, eds. 1988. Africa and the Renaissance: Art in Ivory, p. 215. New York and Munich
* Allen Roberts and Carol Thompson. 1995. Animals in African Art: From the Familiar to the Marvelous, p. 175. New York and Munich