John Henry Swainson was a trader with the Liverpool firm Pinnock and Co.. He acquired a Horse Rider Figure from Benin in 1892, probably as a diplomatic gift from Ọba Ovonramwẹ. Swainson was then assisting Vice-Consul Galway in securing the Ọba's proxy signature on a political 'treaty' between Great Britain and the Edo Kingdom during their visit to Benin City in March 1892.