Catalogue card for E 1902.102-103 reads: 'Two heavy brass penannular bracelets composed of a heavy band of semi-circular section, plain inside, the convex back deeply grooved with sloping lines. Benin West Africa 1897 Expedition
A brass penannular bracelet composed of a heavy band of semi-circular section, plain inside, the convex back deeply grooved with sloping lines. Taken during the British punitive expeditionto Benin City in 1897.
A brass bracelet or manilla. Penannular in shape with a roughly semi-circular cross-section. The outer band is decorated with deeply grooved diagonal lines. The two terminals are slightly flattened and are decorated with repeated geometric patterns. The interior band is undecorated.
A brass bracelet or manilla. Penannular in shape with a roughly semi-circular cross-section. The outer band is decorated with deeply grooved diagonal lines. The two terminals are slightly flattened and are decorated with repeated geometric patterns. The interior band is undecorated.
'Edo' is both a language and cultural group but the catalogue is presumed to have been using the term 'Edo as a cultural group. The term 'Benin' has been removed from the cultural group field.
Today Benin City is the capital of Edo State and so 'Edo State' has been used in the place field.
Catalogue card reads, in blue biro: "1902. E 102, 103 | AFRICA | WEST AFRICA / S. NIGERIA / BENIN / MANILLAS - currency / Two heavy brass, penannular BRACELETS composed of a heavy band of semicircular section, plain inside, the convex back deeply grooved with sloping lines. / Benin, West Africa 1897 Expedition/ purchased Stevens / Professor Bevan's donations | R. 1903 236, 237"
Red circular sticker in bottom right corner.
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 test once and the results are as follows: 1) Cu: 62.90%; Zn: 36.02%; Pb: 0.83%. It was noted this dated to at least 1850+.
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Catalogue card for E 1902.102-103 reads: 'Purchased Stevens, Professor Bevan's donation'.
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E 1902.94- 115 are recorded in the Accession Register as acquired on the 'Benin, West Africa 1897 Expedition indicating they formed part of the spoils taken during the looting of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi’s royal palace by British troops led by Admiral Sir Henry Rawson. This punitive expeditionwas a response to the ambush of a British party led by Acting Consul General James Philips which had sought to enter Benin City during Ague (Igue), the new year festival of renewal, against the wishes of the Oba.
E 1902.93- 115 are annotated in the Register as 'B. Stevens *Prof Bevan' indicating they were purchased at an undated 1902 auction at J.C. Stevens saleroom, 38 King Street Covent Garden, London, with money donated to the Museum’s Accessions Fund by Prof. Anthony Ashley Bevan.