Ivory carving believed to be either a sceptre or a key. An oblong block: on one side there is a carved sunken panel which depicts a clothed man with a rosette above, the clothing believed to be in a Portuguese style. Below and above the panel there is a short Guilloche ornament. The other sides of the objects have a key like motif engraved. The top has a carved projection in the form of a Crocodile's head holding a curled Mudfish in its jaws. From Benin, Africa.
236. Armlet, West Africa, Made in the 19th century from ivory. Maker unrecorded. 237.Box, Nineteenth Century. A carved ivory box with a lid. 238. Carving in Ivory. An oblong withg one side showing in sunk panel fully clothed man with rosette above. 239. Ivory Rasp? with cylindrical teeth. 240, 241 & 242 Horns.
Donated by Mr F W Lucas in 1925, Solicitor. Collector of Vertebrate skeletal material & ethnographic items. Author. Museum owner. He also lived at St Switherns, 117 Marine Parade, Brighton c. 1911. Lived at 117 Marine Parade Brighton (July 1914). Vertebrate collections entirely purchased. A letter from Lucas to A F Griffith, Six original photographs of his Rottingdean Museum, five copies of his museum & one of him as well as his original (hand written) catalogue are in the Booth Museum biographical reference section. Donated R2015 collection in 1919. Register states address as: Northgate house, Rottingdean
Donated R2778 collection in November 1925: Register states address as: Speer (?) Court, Newbury, United Kingdom.
Historic Label: Ivory carving from Benin. W. Africa. Lucas Coll.
Accession Register Entry: Header: West Africa. 238. Carving in Ivory. An oblong withg one side showing in sunk panel fully clothed man with rosette above. Above and below panel short gullioche ornament. Sides of block having a kind of key ornament engraved. From top of blocks project's a crocodiles head holding curled mud fish in its mouth. Benin.
Condition: Poor [2014] Ivory cracked on back of object