Also known as "The Benin Tusk", this is a large elephant tusk carved all over with human figures. This would have stood on an ancestor altar dedicated to a particular Oba, or ruler, of the former West African Kingdom of Benin, which is now a province of N
Nigeria, Benin. Acquired by Salford Museum and Art Gallery in 1907 and given the accession number 887. The Salford accession register describes the item as:
‘Carved tusk; elephant’s; forming part of the loot of Benin City, when it was sacked by the British troops in 1897. The tusk is one of the longest known, measuring 82 inches in length. It is carved all over with figures of men in armour, holding spears, swords and bows-and-arrows; warriors on horseback; representations of the “cat-fish”; snakes; birds; men with shields; [...]; interlaced braid-work round the base much damaged. This tusk once stood on a Juju ltar possibly in the King’s compound at Benin City. Bronze human heads were used as bases upon which such tusks stood. See H. Ling Roth’s book, Great Benin, page 79 [...] 1903 ed. Presented by Messers. Thomas Agnew & sons, Exchange St., Manchester. Note:- Smaller tusks were offered for purchase, a few years ago,at £50 each.’
Gerald Agnew wrote to Bertie Mullen at Salford Museum and Art Gallery in February 1907 confirming his intention to donate the tusk on behalf of his firm Thomas Agnew & Sons. In his letter he stated the following:
‘I mentioned to you the other day, that I intended Peel Park to be presented with the large tusk carved with fairies, which was looted from Benin in 1897, by the firm. This was brought in by a man for me, and if the authorities care to have it, I shall be very pleased to present it on behalf of the firm.It is here, anytime you like to have a look at it.
Reading this through, it looks as if the firm looted it from Benin; but this is not so!!’
In 1907 Thomas Agnew & Sons was operating from 14 Exchange Street, Manchester and specialised in dealing fine art. With extensive access to the art market it is unsurprising that Gerald Agnew came into possession of an item looted from Benin City in 1897, but he does not expand on this in any detail in this single piece of correspondence. Peter Ogilvie, Collections Manager at Salford Museum and Heritage Service, has confirmed that there are no other pieces of archival material associated with Gerald Agnew and tusk at Salford Museum and Art Gallery. However, a further line of inquiry could involve contacting the firm itself, now based in London and called Agnews, to determine whether it holds any relevant archives.
In July 1993 Dr. Barbara Blackmun, art historian and specialist in Nigerian cultural heritage, wrote to Dr George Bankes, Keeper of Anthropology at Manchester Museum, offering a creation date and an interpretation of the scenes depicted on the tusk. In the letter Blackmun stated the following:
‘As you might guess from its weathered surface, the Manchester tusk belongs to the earliest set known. It could have been carved as early as 1735. A more conservative estimate, however, is that it was carved between 1750 and 1780, commissioned by Oba Akungbuda to honor his father Eresonyea, as his grandfather and great-grandfather, Akengzua I and Ewuakpe.’
As Blackmun’s identification took place almost 30 years ago and was conducted remotely using photographs, it would be advisable to invite a specialist currently focusing on the historic material culture of Benin City to offer a second opinion on site.
© The Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester
Images (.tiff): © The Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, photography by Michael Pollard
Correspondence Transcripts Salford Museum Benin Collection Correspondence Transcripts
Salford Museum
Tusk - 0.9321/17 - 1907’39
14, Exchange Street,
Manchester
Feb. 25th 1907
Dear Mr. Mullen,
I mentioned to you the other day, that I intended Peel Park to be presented with the large tusk carved with fairies, which was looted from Benin in 1897, by the firm. This was brought in by a man for me, and if the authorities care to have it, I shall be very pleased to present it on behalf of the firm. It is here, anytime you like to have a look at it.
Reading this through, it looks as if the firm looted it from Benin; but this is not so!!
Yours sincerely
Gerald Agnew (https://www.npg.org.uk/research/conservation/directory-of-british-framemakers/a)
___________
Bertie Mullen Esq
Stephen Welsh
19 August 2021