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.
Gong mit eingraviertem Dekor
Unbekannte Werkstatt der Bronzegießergilde Igun Eronmwon / Königreich Benin, Nigeria, 17./18. Jh. / Gelbguss / Ankauf von John Lembcke, 1900, Inv. Nr. C 2895
Bei diesem großen Gong handelt es sich nach gegenwärtigem Wissenstand um ein Unikat. In welchem besonderen Kontext
er verwendet wurde, ist nicht bekannt. Er wird wohl auch bei höfischen Festen geschlagen worden sein.
Label Text (eng)
Gong with Engraved Ornaments
Unidentified workshop of the Bronze Casters Guild Igun Eronmwon / Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, 17th/18th century / Brass / Acquired from John Lembcke, 1900, Inv. no. C 2895
According to current knowledge, this large gong is one of a kind. It is not known in which special context it was used, but presumably it was also struck during courtly ceremonies.