[2017 reinstallation label text; with 72.19.43]
Both of the objects in this case are used to make a sound and demonstrate a type of spiritual power. The bell would have been placed on an altar. Its ringing calls ancestral spirits to the space to hear the prayers of supplicants and take part in the offerings.
The clapper is surmounted by a form called bird of prophecy, which references a bird that brings bad omens. According to oral history, this form originated in the sixteenth century, when the bird appeared to an oba foretelling defeat in an upcoming battle. The oba counteracted the formidable omen and won. The playing of these clappers in the Ugie Oro festival refers to the oba’s ability to assert spiritual and physical power.
[previous label text]
Benin ancestral altars-whether for kings, chiefs, or wealthy commoners-usually feature several cast-metal bells. Their ringing summons the ancestors to hear the prayers of their descendants and to enjoy the offerings made at the altar. The bells are typically quadrangular in shape with a strap-like handle and a clapper suspended inside. This altar bell features on one side a small mask-like face and on the opposite side an inscribed silver plaque. It reads: "Brought back by a member of the British Punitive Expeditionof 1897 who subsequently gave it to a Doctor Menzies."
Created in the Kingdom of Benin (present-day Nigeria), 19th century; Looted by an unknown British soldier during Raid on Benin City (Feb. 9-18, 1897); given to Dr. Menzies (possibly J.A. Menzies), 1905; acquired by Mathias Komor, New York (1909-1984); sold to James G. Hanes before 1973; gifted to the NCMA, 1973
A plaque affixed to the back reads: "King of Benin's Palace--1897--To Dr. Menzies. From a grateful soldier patient. 1905."
Research needed:
Since this work has a plaque on it that states that it was "brought back by a member of the British Punitive Expeditionof 1897" I highly recommend further provenance research to track down the archives of Mathias Komor, the dealer that sold the bell, and further research into the doctor who received it from the 'member,' Dr. Menzies. Try to figure out who the 'member' of the Expeditionwas, relationship to Menzies, whether it was forcibly taken, etc.
Komor archives can be found in the Getty Research Institute, Special Collections:
https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8t154cs/
Doctor could be "J.A. Menzies" mentioned on p. 948 of British Medical Journal Volume 1, April 18, 1903.
(A. Maples, 2/4/2020)
Square, slants/up and inward, 1 side with plaque, opposite with raised head surrounded by repeat pattern in panel, 2 sides of deeper pattern. Clapper hangs through hole beneath handle.
Opinions:
Worn around the neck of Oba, a royal emblem.
Plaque: "Brought back by a member of the British Punitive Expeditionof 1897 who subsequently gave it to a Doctor Menzies."
Komor - "In perfect condition."
Segy, p. 140, fig. no 99, bell. Pp. 189-190: information on Benin Kingdom and periods.
Fine piece, fine condition. DED
Sieber, 4/80: (1) Altar bell. 19th century, pre-expedition Exhibit with sacrificial altar.
Allen Wardwell, 2/8/84: African, Nigeria, Benin. Bell.
Benin. Late, not great work of art. May have come from Punitive Expedition (3) or (1) Marketable.
Conservation/Condition Notes:
Very good condition
"Recent Acquisitions" (exhibition catalogue), North Carolina Museum of Art Bulletin 12, no. 3 (March 1974), cat. no. 41, illus. (b-w) 44.
Amanda M. Maples, “African Restitution in a North American Context: A Debate, A Summary and a Challenge,” African Arts 53, no. 4, 10–15, illus. (color). 12.