Context (Acquisition Details)
Collected and donated by Dr Cunnington.
Event Date
Author: maa

Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for 1924.1121 A-B: 'Two virginity plaques. Tapering silver ring with embossed and engraved circular plate. Worn by unmarried girls. On the eve of marriage, the girl goes in the dark and throws it down as well. A small boy (concealed) promptly retrieves it and it is handed to the next unmarried daughter of the family. Native work. Modern.'
Event Date
Author: maa

Context (Amendments / updates)
Some of the cards for the Cunnington Gift give the provenance as Libya, Siwa Oasis is in Egypt but on the border with Libya.
Event Date
Author: Jazmin Hundal

Context (Display)
The Report of the Board of Archaeological and Anthropological Studies (1925) [for the Academic year 1923-24], p. 1, 'In the Babington Hall, the Curator arranged specimens of ornaments from the Oasis of Siwa and from Algeria, and two hanging cases of sherds from the Sudan : Mr M. C. Burkitt put on view Dr Cunnington’s gift of stone implements from Siwa.'
Event Date 1924
Author: rachel hand

Description (Physical description)
Silver virginity plaque. Comprises of a silver ring, open at one point; attached to ring is a circular plate. Plate features embossed and engraved decoration. Worn by unmarried women.
Event Date 16/11/2021
Author: Jazmin Hundal

Context (Amendments / updates)
The Report of the Board of Archaeological and Anthropological Studies (1925) [for the Academic year 1923-24], p. 2 notes incorrectly that the 'ethnographical series, Siwa, (24.115-1128)' were given by the Curator Mr Louis C.G. Clarke.
While Clarke's name has been added to the 1924 register entry it has subsequently been crossed out, with ditto marks indicating the material was given by the proceeding donor, Dr C. Willett Cunnington, who presented a series of archaeological stone tools 'from the Oasis of Siwa'.
Event Date 19/8/2022
Author: rachel hand