Translation (from Danish) of The National Museum of Denmark’s archival record on the objects and their context from 1899. File no. 194/99 Africa.
Please be aware, that this historical record contains racialized terminology, that is not endorsed by The National Museum of Denmark.
Objects of Bronze, from Benin in West Africa. Under the British Conquest of the Capitol in the Kingdom of Benin in 1897, a substantial Number of Bronze objects was taken as Booty, among which were these exhibited objects. They consist of a natural size Representation of a Head, a Statuette of a and two Reliefs, One with the Representation of a Warrior, the Other with the Representation of three sacrificing (?) s.
All of the Benin Bronzes are cast by the Cire perdue technique, also known from the Nordic Bronze Age, and by which a new Model is formed for each Piece, that shall be cast. The Objects can with Certainty be determined to be between 200 and 300 Years old, as there on some of them are found Representations of Europeans, whose Weapons and Dress refers to the 16th and 17th Century.
What the big Head was used for, is unknown. It shows a young, yet beardless Mans features; on the Forehead the conspicuous Scars from the Incisions in the Flesh, which by numerous West African People substitutes Tattoos, are seen. The Head Ornament is decorated with a Net of Bead Strings, the Neck and the lower Part of the Face is totally hidden by close Strings of Beads.
The Statuette was probably used as an Ornament on a Wall. Sword of the same strange Form, as that which is represented by the Warrior, is still to be found in West Africa and is used e.g. to draw the string back on the very tight Bow.
About the Reliefs is known, that they were meant to be put as an ornament on the Wooden Columns, that was taken from the Palace of the Benin King.