Physical description/0description Catalogue card notes: "Oblong plaque of bronze or brass with patterned ground and border depicting two men standing clad in looped loincloths, coral strings at the neck, shoulder and waist, and bronze bracelets. Two daggers attached to the shoulder strap are held by one figure (the hands of the other are missing). Hair dressed in a pair of carved horns, single braid etc."
d_Description Namedescription An oblong plaque of bronze or brass with patterned ground and border depicting two men standing clad in looped loincloths, coral strings at the neck, shoulder and waist, and bronze bracelets. Two daggers attached to the shoulder strap are held by one figure (the hands of the other are missing). Hair dressed in a pair of carved horns, single braid etc.
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
References/0 2bibliography Webster, W.D. (1900). "Catalogue No. 24, of Ethnographical Specimens in Bronze, Wrought Iron, Ivory and Wood, from Benin City, West Africa, taken at the fall of the City in February 1897, by the British Punitive Expeditionunder the command of Admiral Rawson." Illustrated Catalogue of Ethnological Specimens. European and Eastern Arms and Armour. Prehistoric and Other Curiosities, Vol. 4, No. 24.
Illustrated in plate 7; fig. 26. (9757) Bronze plaque representing two native, one armed with two short swords and the other has been evidently holding something in his hands which has been broken off, 17 inches high, 9 1/2 inches broad. £ 25.0.0.
Related Documents/0bibliography Catalogue card reads, in blue biro: "1902E 445 | AFRICA | WEST AFRICA / NIGERIA / Oblong PLAQUE of bronze or brass with patterned ground and border depicting two men standing clad in looped loincloths, coral strings at the neck, shoulder & waist, and bronze bracelets. Two daggers attached to a shoulder strap are held by one figure (the hand of the other are missing). Hair dressed in a pair of curved horns, single braids etc. (1'5.2" x 9.6") / Benin W. Africa / Mr W.D. Webster | R. 1903 259"
Red circular sticker on bottom right of card.
Donated by William Downing Webster (1868-1913), a dealer in ethnography who distributed hundreds of looted Benin works of art to European museums. Given the early date of 1902-3 and Webster’s acquisition from auctions and Expeditionmembers, it is likely his personal donation of Benin material was also acquired are part of the Expedition This has therefore been added to the source field with queries to indicate the lack of available data for a definite provenance.
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: 79.16%; Zn: 13.19%; Sn: 0.65%; Pb: 3.02%. 2) Cu: 79.12%; Zn: 13.22%; Sn: 0.64%; Pb: 3.03%. It was noted that most plaques are thought to be cast 1550-1610. Riederer alloy D2? At the lower end of the Pb spectrum.