British Museum
Registration Number: Af1879,0701.1
Institution media
6 Images
Digital Benin research
English designation
Salt Cellar
Category
Contextual Objects: Benin-Portuguese Ivories
Provenance
Willett, Henry
LocationGreat Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG, United Kingdom
Institution data
Internal Data (eng)
British Museum
The data was transferred directly by the institution.
Last Updated: 2022-08-04
Language: english
Registration Numberobject id
Af1879,0701.1
Object Name - Commentdesignation
Object Name - Object Namedesignation
salt-cellar (middle section)
Titledesignation
Afro-Portuguese Ivories (Series)~Bini-Portuguese Ivories (Series)
Title translationdesignation
Title typedesignation
Object History Note / Acquisition Notedescription, provenance, notes
Physical descriptiondescription
Saltcellar, middle section; made of elephant ivory. Alternating pairs of Portuguese figures with aquiline noses and beards. Static front-facing figures dressed in patterned long-sleeved tunics and caps with feather. Hold spears in right hand and swords in left. Wear beaded necklaces with cross. Dynamic three-quarter view figures wear caps, long-sleeved patterned tunics and pleated skirts. Hold swords in left hand and circular shields in right. Saltcellar has hollow bowl at top; base is hollowed with raised circular element within.
Materialmaterial
elephant ivory
Material - Commentmaterial
Dimensiondimensions
Dimension commentdimensions
Dimension measurement unitdimensions
Dimension notedimensions
Dimension valuedimensions
Height: 10.00 cm~Width: 8.30 cm~Depth: 8.30 cm
Dimension value enddimensions
Inscription - Noteinscriptions
Inscription - Quotedinscriptions
Inscription languageinscriptions
Inscription positioninscriptions
Inscription translationinscriptions
Inscription typeinscriptions
Production datedate made
1525-1600 (circa)
Production date - Commentdate made
Producer/Artist - Associationproducer
Producer/Artist - Nameproducer
Techniqueproduction technique
carved
Technique - Commentproduction technique
Production placeproduction place
Made in: Nigeria (?)
Production place - Associationproduction place
Production place - Commentproduction place
Production place - Site detailsproduction place
Previous owner - Associationprior source
Previous owner - Commentprior source
Previous owner - Nameprior source
Acquisition Funding Source Nameprovenance
Acquisition Funding Source Name Associationprovenance
Acquisition Funding Source Name Commentprovenance
Acquisition Nameprovenance
Henry Willett
Acquisition Name Associationprovenance
Acquisition Name Commentprovenance
Excavation/Field Collection Noteprovenance
Excavator/Field collector - Associationprovenance
Excavator/Field collector - Nameprovenance
Associated event - Associationevent
Associated event - Eventevent
Associated placeplace collected
Associated place - Associationplace collected
Findspot - Associationplace collected
Findspot - Commentplace collected
Findspot - Placeplace collected
Findspot - Site detailsplace collected
Associated name - Associationreign associated name
Associated name - Commentreign associated name
Associated name - Namereign associated name
Associated ethnic name - Associationethnic attribution
Associated ethnic name - Ethnic Nameethnic attribution
Production ethnic name - Associationethnic attribution
Production ethnic name - Commentethnic attribution
Production ethnic name - Ethnic Nameethnic attribution
Edo (?)
Responsible departmentdepartment and institution
Commentnotes
This saltcellar section was possibly made by an artist/in a workshop associated with the work of the so-called 'Master of the Heraldic Ship'. Salt cellars from the latter artist are recorded in the collections of the British Museum (Af 1878,1101.48.a-c); the Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin (lost/destroyed); and the National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh (A.1956.1155). By ekilgallon 30 Nov 2015
Exhibitions Loans and Displays - Current and Pastexhibition history
Bibliographic reference - Citationbibliography
Bibliographic reference - Commentbibliography
Bibliographic reference - Referencebibliography
Bassani 2001: Cat. no. 795. p. 256~Bassani & Fagg 1988: Cat. no. 118; pp. 180-181; fig. 241; p. 239~Fagg 1959: pl. 12,13.
Conditioncondition
BM/Big No - Number
BM/Big No - Prefix
BM/Big No - item
Collection
DAMS Asset - Number
Other number
Other number - Comment
Other number type
PRN
EAF13928
School/Style
Afro-Portuguese Style
Subject - Comment
Subject - Subject
European
calc acquisition link.spec acquisition date text