Catalogue card notes: "Human mask of bronze, the pupils of eyes formed by an iron nail. Three tribalmarks over each eye. Tattooing down nose, no ears. Reticulated headdress. Choker round neck"
Human maskette of bronze, the pupils of eyes formed by an iron nail. Three tribalmarks over each eye. Tattooing down nose, no ears. Reticulated headdress. Choker around the neck.
Catalogue card reads, in black ink: "25.67 | Benin / West Africa / Human mask of bronze, the pupils of eyes formed by an iron nail. Three tribalmarks over each eye. Tattooing down nose - no ears. Reticulated head-dress similar to mask on PL: 21 fig 126 of Pitt Rivers' Antique Works of Art from Benin. Choker round neck. / Exhibited by donor at Empire Exhibition, Wembley 1924."
Red circular sticker in bottom right corner of card.
In January 2017, Prof. Marcos Martinon-Torres and Agnese Benzonelli, UCL Institute of Archaeology, tested this idno using a portable XRF as part of a programme of base metal analysis of Benin material. This object was tested three times and the results are as follows: 1) Cu: 76.20%; Zn: 18.29%; Sn: 1.41%; Pb: 3.11%. 2) Cu: 77.92%; Zn: 15.86%; Sn: 1.68%; Pb: 3.24%. 3) Cu: 78.63%; Zn: 14.44%; Sn: 1.57%; Pb: 3.32%. It was noted as having moderate Zn and low but notable Sn and Pb.
Possibly dated to 1550-1610 though this could be a random result of recycling.
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Catalogue card reads "Exhibited by donor at Empire Exhibition: Wembley 1924"
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The British Empire Exhibition, Wembley Park, London, 23 April 1924 to 31 October 1925 included a Nigerian Pavilion, which featured Nigerian artists as living displays and a replica altar which featured painted wood representations of the original bronze and ivory artworks.