Photographed as part of the Art UK Sculpture project, August - September 2019. The project aims to create a free-to-access online photographic showcase of publicly owned sculpture. The three-year project focuses on sculpture dating from the last 1,000 years, held in public collections and outdoor locations across the UK
Catalogue card reads, in blue ink: 50.267 A/B | Africa | Nigeria / Two bronze cocks. / A. ht. about 7 ins, a good specimen / B. [ht. about] 4 [ins], poor / Benin / F.W. Green bequest."
Red circular sticker on bottom right 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 twice and the results are as follows: 1) Cu: 64.69%; Zn: 34.25%; Pb: 0.85%. 2) Cu: 65.13%; Zn: 33.78%; Pb: 0.84%. It was noted as Zn reading of >30 gives a date 1850+. Riederer alloy I2.
Analysis/1
Archaeology
Auction - Sale/0
Given by Frederick William Green, Honorary Keeper of Antiquities at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (1908–1949). The majority of 'bronze' items such as these in museum collections were collected on the 1897 Punitive Expeditionto Benin. This is likely to be the origin of this work but there is no documentation on Green's acquisition.
The Webster sale number suggests it was sold by Bicester dealer William Webster at some stage probably between 1898- 1901, but the number has not yet been connected to a specific auction