Accession No
E 1902.435
Description
Ẹroro. Bronze or brass 'pyramid' bell with clapper. With a beaded band-loop handle, quadrangular with beaded edges, diaper ground etc bearing on the front in relief a six rayed star.
Place
Africa; West Africa; Nigeria; [Kingdom of Benin]; Edo State; Benin City; Oba's Palace
Period
Source
British Colonial Military Campaign on Benin [collector]; Webster, William Downing [?donor]
Department
Anth
Reference Numbers
E 1902.435; MAA: AR 1903.242; 14405 [Webster Lot no.]
Cultural Affliation
Edo
Material
Metal; Copper Alloy; ?Brass; ?Bronze
Local Term
Ẹroro [Edo]
Measurements
75mm x 130mm x 71mm Weight 0.4287kg
Events
Description (Labels & Markings)
Marked in white ink on handle: '14405' [Webster Lot. no.]
Event Date
Author: Lucie Carreau
Context (Other owners)
Rachel Hand: 'Given Webster's acquisition of much of the spoils of the Benin West Africa 1897 Expedition, and the early date of 1902-3, it is likely his personal donation of Benin material was also collected on the 1897 Punitive Expedition. This has therefore been added to the source field with queries to indicate the lack of available data for a definite provenance' (02/10/2018).
Event Date
Author: Lucie Carreau
Description (Labels & Markings)
Old museum label adhered to object: '1902.435. Bell. Benin. W.D. Webster, Esq.'
Event Date 1902
Author: Lucie Carreau
Description (Physical description)
Bronze or brass 'pyramid' bell with beaded band-loop handle, quadrangular with beaded edges, diaper ground etc bearing on the front in relief a six rayed star.
Event Date 6/6/2000
Author: maa
Context (Amendments / updates)
The note created during transcription of the catalogue card in 2001 added that it was unclear if 'Edo is the province or language group, and whether Benin refers to the city of Benin'. The Register noted only 'Benin, West Africa'. As the catalogue card was written before the creation of Edo State in 1991, 'Edo' would have referred to the Edo people and has been removed from the place field.
The narrow term 'Benin' has been used within the museum and more widely to refer to the both Benin City as well as the Kingdom of Benin and both terms have therefore been added to the place field in brackets to show the original provenance eg., 'Benin [?Kingdom of Benin; ?Benin City].
Event Date 2/10/2018
Author: rachel hand
Description (Physical description)
Bronze or brass 'pyramid' bell with beaded band-loop handle, quadrangular with beaded edges, diaper ground etc bearing on the front in relief a six rayed star. Clapper present. Large semicircular hole in face.
Event Date 2/10/2019
Author: Lucie Carreau
Context (Related Documents)
Catalogue card reads, in blue biro: "1902 E 435 | AFRICA | WEST AFRICA / NIGERIA / Bronze or brass BELL with beaded band-loop handle, quadrangular with beaded edges diaper ground etc. bearing on the front in relief a six-rayed star. (5" x 2.6") / Benin W. Africa / Mr W.D. Webster | R. 1903 242."
In second hand, black biro (added before "BELL"): "pyramidal"
Red circular sticker on bottom right of card.
Event Date 24/8/2020
Author: Katrina Dring
Description (Physical description)
The hole noted on the side is unlikely to be part of the casting process as the edges are sharp and not worn down with age.
Event Date 14/10/2021
Author: Lucie Carreau
Description (Labels & Markings)
The accession number is marked in white on the handle of the bell.
Event Date 5/10/2021
Author: Benjamina Dadzie
FM:128072
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