British Museum
Registration Number: Af1954,23.275
Institution media
5 Images
Digital Benin research
Edo designation
Uhunmwu-Elao
English designation
Commemorative Head
Category
Altar & Shrine Objects
Heads
Provenance
Nevins, Hugh Nevins
Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London
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
Af1954,23.275
Object Name - Commentdesignation
Object Name - Object Namedesignation
commemorative head
Titledesignation
Title translationdesignation
Title typedesignation
Object History Note / Acquisition Notedescription, provenance, notes
Part of a collection made by Hugh N Nevins, District Officer, Benin City, for the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum. Purchased by the WHMM on 15 Janaury 1929 for £3.0.0.
Physical descriptiondescription
Commmemorative head; made of terracotta. Human head depicted wearing beaded coral collar and beaded necklet. Head has tiered hairstyle, double furrow lines on forehead and impressed irises.
Materialmaterial
terracotta
Material - Commentmaterial
Dimensiondimensions
H~W~X
Dimension commentdimensions
~~
Dimension measurement unitdimensions
cm~cm~cm
Dimension notedimensions
Dimension valuedimensions
14.30~9.70~10.10
Dimension value enddimensions
~~
Inscription - Noteinscriptions
Inscription - Quotedinscriptions
Inscription languageinscriptions
Inscription positioninscriptions
Inscription translationinscriptions
Inscription typeinscriptions
Production datedate made
16thC-19thC
Production date - Commentdate made
circa
Producer/Artist - Associationproducer
Producer/Artist - Nameproducer
Techniqueproduction technique
modelled
Technique - Commentproduction technique
Production placeproduction place
Benin City
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
Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine
Acquisition Name Associationprovenance
Acquisition Name Commentprovenance
Excavation/Field Collection Noteprovenance
Acquired by Hugh Nevins in Benin City in 1929.
Excavator/Field collector - Associationprovenance
FC
Excavator/Field collector - Nameprovenance
Nevins, Hugh
Associated event - Associationevent
Associated event - Eventevent
Associated placeplace collected
Associated place - Associationplace collected
Findspot - Associationplace collected
Findspot - Commentplace collected
Findspot - Placeplace collected
Benin City
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
The Wellcome Historical Medical Musuem flimsy inventory card records: 'Head. Terra cotta, showing detail of headdress and necklet. Hole running through centre. 5 1/4" x 3 1/4". Found on the Benin Ancestral altars. (The making of these heads is now virtually extinct).' See Collection File: Af1954,23.265-281.~Register 1954 Another [clay human head] similar [to Af1954,23.274], little damaged, a protruding flange round the base partly broken off.
Exhibitions Loans and Displays - Current and Pastexhibition history
Exhibited: 1970-1973, London, Museum of Mankind, Divine Kingship in Africa
Bibliographic reference - Citationbibliography
Bibliographic reference - Commentbibliography
Bibliographic reference - Referencebibliography
Conditioncondition
Good; some damage around necklace at front and left proper. Small missing section from top of head at left proper.
BM/Big No - Number
BM/Big No - Prefix
BM/Big No - item
Collection
DAMS Asset - Number
1613681522;1613681523;1613681524;1613681525;1613681526
Other number
A79298
Other number - Comment
WHMM accession number
Other number type
Previous owner/ex-collection number
PRN
School/Style
Subject - Comment
Subject - Subject
calc acquisition link.spec acquisition date text
1954