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.
Aquamanille in Gestalt eines sitzenden Leoparden
Unbekannte Werkstatt der Bronzegießergilde Igun Eronmwon / Königreich Benin, Nigeria, 16.–18. Jh. / Gelbguss / Ankauf von John Lembcke, 1899, Inv. Nr. C 2398
Durch den abnehmbaren Kopf des Ritualbehälters wurde Wasser eingefüllt, der Ausguss befindet sich zwischen den Vorderzähnen. Es ist anzunehmen, dass europäische Aquamanillen des
11. bis 15. Jhs. den in Benin vorgefundenen Wasserspendern in Gestalt eines Leoparden als Vorbild gedient hatten. Diese Annahme wird dadurch erhärtet, dass die Gefäße in der Überlieferung mit Oba Ewuare in Verbindung gebracht werden, der sie aus dem Unterseereich des Meeresgottes Olokun erhalten haben soll. Er war der König, der im 15. Jh. als erster Kontakt mit portugiesischen Händlern hatte.
Label Text (eng)
Aquamanile in the Shape of a Seated Leopard
Unidentified workshop of the Bronze Casters Guild Igun Eronmwon / Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, 16th-18th century / Brass / Acquired from John Lembcke, 1899, Inv. no. C 2398
Through the removable head, the ritual container was filled with water, while the spout is located between the front teeth. Presumably, European aquamaniles
of the 11th to 15th centuries had served as a model for the Benin water dispensers in the shape
of leopards. This assumption is corroborated by the fact that the vessels are traditionally associated with Oba Ewuare, who is said to have received them from the undersea realm of the sea god Olokun. He was the first king who had contact with Portuguese traders in the 15th century.