Context (Field collection)
Presumed taken during the British Colonial Military Campaign on Benin, February 1897 as it is typical of the material taken at this time and which ended up in European sale rooms.
Although some of Green's bequest can be connected to dealer William Webster, at present there is no documentation on Green's acquisition of this Uhumnwun elao.
Event Date 2/1897
Author: rachel hand

Context (Acquisition Details)
Bequeathed by Frederick William Green (1869-1949), Honorary Keeper of Antiquities at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge from 1908 to 1949. Some of Green's bequest retains the white stock or sale numbers which can be connected to the sales of dealer William Webster, the pre-eminent dealer of looted Benin material.
Event Date 1950
Author: rachel hand

Context (Related Documents)
Catalogue card reads, in blue ink: "50.266 A/B | Africa | Nigeria / Two female heads, apparently tusk-holders, with many-stringed necklaces, of bronze / A. 9 ins high. / B. 8 [ins high]. / Benin. / F.W. Green bequest."

In second hand, blue ink: [below "Benin"] "Note: W.B. Fagg says that these are a local style, from UDO, + may not be female."

In third hand, black ink: [beside measurements for A] "[Exchanged with British Museum]"

In fourth hand, black ink at bottom of card: "-Centenary Exhibition"

Two circular red stickers, on top right and bottom left of card.
Event Date 1950
Author: Katrina Dring

Context (Production / use)
Catalogue card for 1950.266 A-B notes "W.B. Fagg says that these are a local style, from UDO, and may not be female".
Event Date 19/5/1950
Author: Rachel Hand

Context (References)
Catalogue to the exhibition: Ebin, V. and Swallow, D. A. (1984) The Proper Study of Mankind: Great Anthropological Collections in Cambridge. Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Event Date 1984
Author: rachel hand

Context (Display)
Part of MAA's Centenary Exhibition, held in the Adeane gallery, at the Fitzwilliam Museum, 12 March- 6 May 1984, and the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts, Norwich, 2 July- 16 September 1984.


Event Date 12/3/1984
Author: rachel hand

Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for 1950.266 A-B notes 'Two female heads, apparently tusk-holders, with many-stringed necklaces, of bronze.'

Event Date 19/5/2016
Author: Rachel Hand

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: 88.83%; Zn: 3.82%; Sn: 3.49%; Pb: 2.36%.
2) Cu: 88.42%; Zn: 3.72%; Sn: 3.50%; Pb: 2.81%.
It was noted as Dark 6, Willett 3 but a low Zn reading and a high Sn reading may be Willett 2.

According to Willett this would date to 15th-16th century but according to Riederer this would probably date to the end of the 16th century.
Event Date 27/1/2017
Author: Eleanor Wilkinson

Context (Display)
Exhibited in the Benin case, Andrews Gallery, 20 March 2017- present.
Event Date 6/9/2021
Author: rachel hand

Context (Analysis)
Analysed using XRF instrumentation by Dr Agnese Benzonelli, University of Cambridge, as part of research by Prof. Marcos Martinon-Torres and Dr Agnese Benzonelli into Benin material at MAA
Event Date 3/4/2023
Author: rachel hand

Description (Physical description)
With iron, possibly nails, used for pupils in the eyes. These can be seen to project outwards in the interior of the casting
Event Date 3/4/2023
Author: rachel hand