Other Owners, Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers; Farnham Museum, Farnham, Dorset; Stevens Auction Rooms; 7 November 1899, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York; William Buller Fagg
Accession book entry: : (for 1975.7.1 and .2): W. FAGG ESQUIRE, ... BARNES, LONDON SW13 9NQ. 2 specimens originally in the PITT RIVERS MUSEUM, FARNHAM and purchased by Mr Fagg from Parke-Bernet, NEW YORK, in 1965. Purchased by PITT RIVERS MUSEUM, OXFORD with the aid of a grant from the Purchase Grant Fund administered by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.... Cylindrical bronze vessel decorated with 3 longitudinal rows of 3 animals heads (presumed to be oxen) alternating with 2 incised human faces in each row. Decorated longitudinal rows separated from each other by incised longitudinal plait ornament or guilloche (guilloche of 3, 4 and 6). Raised corded band ornaments base rim and outer edge of lip, which has 2 small extrusions close together on exterior and riveted through: possibly part of a hinge. Condition remarkably good, but small hole (c. 1.5 cm) pierced near base below animal head. Small area of lip damaged and corded ornament lacking. Depicted and described by General Pitt Rivers 1900 [see reference below]. Height 18.2 cm. Max. Width 5.9 cm.; Documentation: : See corresp. file 202.4, vol. II, `Purchase grants' and 002.50, letter 12. [Not in RDF, 18 5 1997; JC]
Research Notes: Illustrated and described on page 1,991 in volume 3 of the manuscript catalogue of General Pitt-Rivers's 'second' collection, held in the Department of Manuscripts and University Archives at Cambridge University Library (MSS Add.9455): '7th Nov 1899 Benin, metal box, cylindrical in form, ornamented with three longitudinal rows of ox skulls in relief & incised human faces Bt at Stevens sale price £2.10.0 [Drawing annotated 1/2] / Added: Pages 98 / Room VII case 75 [in red].' [AP 22/03/2010; JC 12 9 2013]
Examined by Benin specialist Barbara Blackmun in July 1991. According to Blackmun, this object may have been used to support a tusk. [LMM 7 1991 ?; JC 9 7 2000]