John Lembcke (1873-?) originally came from Mecklenburg and was a Hamburg merchant. He worked as an agent for the trading company L. Pagenstecher & Co. in southern Nigeria. The company maintained several branches in Cameroon and Nigeria and traded raw rubber, among other things.Lembcke was probably employed at a branch of the firm in Warri, from where he went to nearby Benin City. There, he found objects which he eventually brought to Hamburg. Between 1899 and 1905, he sold 40 objects from the Kingdom of Benin to the museum.
Hängelampe
Unbekannte Werkstatt der Bronzegießergilde Igun Eronmwon / Königreich Benin, Nigeria, 18./19. Jh. / Gelbguss / Ankauf von John Lembcke, 1905, Inv. Nr. 1050:05
Lampen mit Haken konnten mit der Hand herumgetragen, über Altäre gehängt oder anderswo im Haushalt angebracht werden. Sie waren allgemein verbreitet und beleuchteten die Gehöfte in der Nacht. Üblicherweise hatte die Hängelampe eine runde flache Schale zum Aufnehmen des Palmöls, in welchem rohe Baumwolle als Docht angezündet wurde. Dieses würfelförmige Beispiel hat die Besonderheit auch auf Füßchen gestellt werden zu können.
Label Text (eng)
Pendant Lamp
Unidentified workshop of the Bronze Casters Guild Igun Eronmwon / Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, 18th/19th century / Brass / Acquired from John Lembcke, 1905, Inv. no. 1050:05
Lamps with hooks could be carried handheld, hung over altars, or placed elsewhere in the home.
They were commonly used to illuminate homesteads at night.
Usually, pendant lamps consisted of a round, shallow bowl to be filled with palm oil, into which raw cotton was inserted and lit as a wick. This cuboid example has the peculiarity that it could also be placed on its feet.