A table made from heavy, hard wood, in several pieces and jointed. The top is carved with 3 panels of plaiting with roundels on the panels between. The legs are broad and flat and also carved with roundels. The stretches have roundels with a simple knot d
Nigeria, Benin. Acquired by Salford Museum and Art Gallery in 1903 and given the accession number 247. The Salford accession register describes the item as:
‘Table of dark wood; the top intricately carved with interlaced ornament forming the borders to the plain panel in the middle of each which is a circular ornament in carving. The four plank legs are mortised into the table-top, and joined together by shaped bars, which are mortised into the legs and these pinned. On each leg is a circular carved ornament; and on each bar an ornament [sketch of an arrow] of twisted design. On two sides (with the grain) the edge of the top is carved with twisted interlaced pattern. This table was taken at the fall of Benin City, West Africa, in February, 1897, by the British Punitive Expedition under the command of Admiral Rawson. Benin, West Africa. Purchased with No. 248 from Mr. B. G. L. Killersby, Bedwell Farm, Stevenage, Herts, for £6-6-0.’
B.G.L. Killerby wrote to Salford Museum and Art Gallery in September and October 1903 with the intention of selling this carving as a pair with 0.9321/6. In a letter dated 14 September 1903 he states the following:
‘I beg to enclose two illustrations showing ethnological specimens of carved wood, from Benin City, West Africa, taken at the fall of the City in February 1897 by the British Punitive Expedition under the command of Admiral Rawson.’
The illustrations are from Mr Websters Catalogue and he sold the pieces originally for the price of £20 + £4.10.0. I am asking £10.10.0 for the two and if you think they would be suitable for your museum I shall be very pleased to send them on approval.’
Killerby presents himself as an adept ethnographic dealer and references several high profile collectors, collections and catalogues in his correspondence. He claims that the carvings belonged to Augustus Pitt Rivers and upon his death in 1900 were sold at Staren’s Auction Rooms in London, where he purchased them. A further line of inquiry would involve confirming this claim, and the presence of the carvings in one of William Downing Webster’s series of illustrated catalogues of ethnographic collections, a catalogue which Killerby references twice as ‘Mr Websters Catalogue’.
© The Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester
Images (.tiff): © The Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, photography by Michael Pollard