Context (References)
Catalogue card notes: cf. Pitt Rivers, A.H.L (1900) Antique Works of Art from Benin, Pl. XVI, p.32 '(N.B.) This cast has a base'.

Event Date 1900
Author: maa

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Context (Display)
Register notes: exhibited at the 'Wembley Exhib: 1924'. This is the British Empire Exhibition, Wembley Park, London, 23 April 1924 to 31 October 1925.
Event Date 23/4/1924
Author: rachel hand

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Context (Other owners)
Donated by Dr Louis Cobbet (1863-1947), Cambridge University Lecturer in Bacteriology from 1907 to 1929. There is no documentation on Cobbet’s acquisition but it is typical of the ‘bronzes’ looted as part of the Benin Expedition, 1897. This has therefore been added to the source field with queries to indicate the lack of available data for a definite provenance.
Event Date 1925
Author: Katrina Dring

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Context (Auction / Sale)
Possibly purchased by Cobbet at the close of the Empire Exhibition where it may have been exhibited as part of the Nigerian Pavilion, which also included Nigerian artists as living displays and a replica altar which featured painted wood representations of the original bronze and ivory artworks
Event Date 1925
Author: rachel hand

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Context (Display)
Presumed displayed as part of "Metal in Africa", an MAA exhibition, held in the Andrews Gallery, 26 September 1996- 28 February 1998
Event Date 26/9/1996
Author: Rachel Hand

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Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card notes: "Bronze cast of human head, negro features, 3 tribal marks over each eye, hatching above, circles below same. Pupils of eyes inlaid with iron. Reticulated headdress and 4 rosettes of coral or agate. Coral choker -badge of rank. Band of coral on each side of ear and 4 strands of plaited hair. Base of head decorated with ox heads and other animals and Neolithic celt s in front and behind."
Event Date 8/6/2000
Author: maa

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Loan (Exhibition)
Exhibition Body Art exhibition, January-July 2006.

Installation week: 23rd-27th January.

Last day of exhibition: 2nd July; de-installation: 3rd July.
Event Date 23/01/2006
Author: maa

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Context (Display)
Exhibited: On loan to Stevenage Museum, UK, for 'Body Art: The Human Canvas,' 4 February to 2 July 2006.
Event Date 4/02/2006
Author: Katrina Dring

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Conservation (Surface Clean)
CON.2016.3608 | Surface Clean
Event Date 30/11/2016
Author: Kirstie Williams

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Description (Physical description)
Benin Head
Event Date 7/12/2016
Author: maa

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Context (References)
Illustrated in McKeating, Alison, D. W. Phillipson and Rachel Maclean. Metal in Africa. Cambridge: Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Cambridge University African Studies Centre, 1996. Pg 2 and 27
Event Date 31/3/2016
Author: Remke Velden

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Context (Analysis)
In January 2017, Prof. Marcos Martinon-Torres and Agnese Benzonelli, UCL Institute of Archaeology, tested this idno using a portable XRF as part of a programme of base metal analysis of Benin material. This object was tested twice and the results are as follows: 1) Cu: 70.53%; Zn: 26.80%; Sn: 0.03%; Pb: 2.27%. 2) Cu: 70.84%; Zn: 26.10%; Sn: 0.02%; Pb: 2.60%.

It was observed this head was classed as Willett 5 and 1700-1850 (Dark 4 chrono range).
Event Date 27/1/2017
Author: Eleanor Wilkinson

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Context (Display)
Exhibited in the Benin case, Andrews Gallery, 20 March 2017- present.
Event Date 20/3/2017
Author: rachel hand

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Context (Related Documents)
Catalogue card reads, in black ink: 25.64 | W. Africa / Benin / Bronze cast of human head. Negro features, 3 tribal marks over each eye, hatching above, circles below same. Pupils of eyes inlaid with iron. Reticulated head-dress & 4 rosettes of coral or agate. Coral choker - badge of rank. Band of coral on each side of ear & 4 strands of plaited hair. Base of head decorated with ox heads & other animals & Neolithic celts in front and behind. / D.D. Dr L. Cobbett / cf. Pitt Rivers "Antique Works of Art from Benin" PL XVI. p32. (NB) this cast has a base)."
Red circular sticker in bottom right corner of card.
Event Date 19/8/2020
Author: Katrina Dring

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Context (Amendments / updates)
Presumed to have been acquired in the attack on Benin City by British forces in 1897.
The phrase 'British Colonial Military Campaign on Benin' has been added to the source field based on the recommendations of Digital Benin. This explicitly links the object to the capture of Benin City by British Navy Forces and members of the Nigerian Coast Protectorate Forces on 18 February 1897.
The queries have been removed.
(https://digitalbenin.org/provenance/139; accessed 10.3.2023)

Event Date 10/3/2023
Author: Rachel Hand

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Context (Other owners)
In July 2022, the University of Cambridge agreed to repatriate 116 artefacts, including this object, taken from Benin City by the British military in February 1897. A legal transfer of ownership to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria, took place on 27 January 2026.
The source field has been updated accordingly.
Event Date 27/1/2026
Author: Jan-Henrik Hartung

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Context (Other)
One of 99 objects on deposit from the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Nigeria (pending a physical return to Nigeria).
Event Date 27/1/2026
Author: Jan-Henrik Hartung