E 1902.460

Catalogue card notes: "Iron chisel, short, taper with nail-shaped head." Added in different handwriting "Looks more like a hammer than a chisel".

Iron chisel or hammer, short and tapered with nail-shaped head.

161 mm

46 mm

0.55 kg

A marking in white on the object reads 'E.1902.460'. There is residue of an old label, next to a marking of crossed out numbers, in white.

A label adhered to the surface reads '1902.460 / Chisel / W.D. Webster, Esq'.

Africa; West Africa; Nigeria; [Kingdom of Benin]; Edo State; Benin City; Oba's Palace

Benin Expedition [collector]; Webster, William Downing [donor]

1897

Edo

1902

Given Webster's acquisition of much of the spoils of the Benin West Africa 1897 Expedition, and the early date of 1902-3, it is likely his personal donation of Benin material was also collected on the 1897 Punitive Expedition. This has therefore been added to the source field with queries to indicate the lack of available data for a definite provenance. The note created during transcription of the catalogue card in 2001 added that it was unclear if 'Edo is the province or language group, and whether Benin refers to the city of Benin'. The Register noted only 'Benin, West Africa'. As the catalogue card was written before the creation of Edo State in 1991, 'Edo' would have referred to the Edo people and has been removed from the place field. The narrow term 'Benin' has been used within the museum and more widely to refer to the both Benin City as well as the Kingdom of Benin and both terms have therefore been added to the place field in brackets to show the original provenance e.g., 'Benin [?Kingdom of Benin; ?Benin City].

'[Benin; Bini]' has been removed from the cultural group field.

E 1902.460 MAA: AR 1903.274 Other: W. 7331 [Webster No.]

Catalogue card reads: "1902 E 460 | AFRICA | WEST AFRICA / NIGERIA / Iron CHISEL short, taper with nail-shaped head. L.6.3" / Benin W. Africa. / MR W.D. Webster | R. 1903 274". Red circular sticker in bottom right corner of card.