iron staff with two square sections, divided by a circular section and a round tapering section at the base. The square sections are decorated with incised designs. Surmounted with 4 coiled bands of brass and a brass coil below the head
A number in white has been removed from the surface and is illegible. Unclear if it was a museum or collector's number. White pigment/paint was used by auction houses such as William Webster and J.C. Stevens, but not enough remains to make a suggestion as to its origin
Catalogue card reads in black ink: "Z 11308 | Benin / "The King of Benin's" Sceptre. / see. Howell's letter 1938 files."
In second hand, black in: "Nigeria"
Red circular sticker in bottom right of catalogue card.
Register notes for Z 11305 and subsequently with ditto marks up to and including Z 11313, 'd. P.P. Howell'.
This contradicts the source information on some of the catalogue cards.
Acquisition Details/1
Possibly donated by Paul Philip Howell (1917- 1994), (Trinity College Cambridge), Assistant District Commissioner Sudan (1938-48)
Acquisition Details/2
Analysis/0
Analysed using XRF by Nicolas Nikis, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research Fellow, MacDonald Institute, University of Cambridge, 12/12/2020
Imported brass strips have been used to decorate the staff. The chemical composition of the coiled section on the foreshaft differs to the four curled sections at the top of the staff head and suggests a different piece of metal was used.