Antique Works of Art from Benin: Collected by Lieutenant-General Pitt Rivers — John Shaqi
Antique Works of Art from Benin: Collected by Lieutenant-General Pitt RiversPitt-Rivers, Augustus Henry Lane-Fox
History
Antique Works of Art from Benin: Collected by Lieutenant-General Pitt Rivers
Pitt-Rivers, Augustus Henry Lane-Fox
Art objects -- Nigeria -- Benin City -- Catalogs
Figs. 219 to 221.--Carved cocoa-nut, representing a native on a horse
to left, holding up chain-bridle in left hand; spear in right hand,
point down. Horse very ill-formed and indistinct. Another carving
represents a figure, apparently in boat, holding spears point down.
One of the figures is beating a pressure drum, which Mr. Ling Roth
describes as being similar to those of the modern Yorubas. The
drum-sticks used by two of the figures have curved heads and flat ends.
A band of chevrons within chevrons are on the trousers of two figures.
The marks on the faces consist of three lines radiating from the
corners of the mouth, as in Figs. 90 and 91, Plate XV, and crosses on
the cheeks. Tribal marks on faces. A native execution sword, similar to
Fig. 110, Plate XVIII, and a flint-lock gun are represented separately
between the other figures. The cocoa-nut is hung by a chain of European
manufacture. The stopper represents a human face on two supports. Mr.
H. Ling Roth, in whose possession this object formerly was, gives a
more detailed account of it in "The Studio," December, 1898.
Fig. 222.--Small brass crotals with semicircular ornaments.
Figs. 223 and 224.--Brass bracelet, ornamented with brass
representations of rows of cowrie shells, in groups of nine.
Figs. 225 and 226.--Brass object of unknown use, ornamented on the
outside with three half-moons and a floral pattern in incised lines,
similar to that on the brass sistrum, Figs. 76 to 78, Plate XII; the
brass box, Fig. 182, Plate XXVII, and the large quadrangular bell,
Figs. 281 and 282, Plate XXXVII. The half-moons are inlaid or plated in
copper on the brass. The edges of the object are ornamented with a band
of plain guilloche pattern incised. It is possible that this might be
a degenerate representation of a double-coiled mud-fish, as shown on
the bronze ægis, Fig. 276, Plate XXXVI, and on the bronze necklet, Fig.
158, Plate XXV.
Fig. 227.--Necklet of agate and coral beads. Said to have belonged to
the King of Benin.
Fig. 228.--Armlet of coral beads.
Fig. 229.--Necklace of agate cylindrical beads.
DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XXXI.
Fig. 230.--Eight shells of bronze gilt, forming part of a necklace.
Fig. 231.--Ten gold shells, which formed part of the King of Benin's
necklace. The shells appear to be "cerithidæ." They are cast hollow.
The weight of the ten is 8-3/4 ounces.
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