Antique works of art from Benin : collected by Lieutenant-General Pitt Rivers

Augustus Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers

Sujets

• Work of art
• Pitt-Rivers
• ART
• Pitt Rivers Museum
• Antiquities

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 11
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

We/rs w4""Rtt-
,
Vii t
WORKS OF ARTANTIQUE
FROM
BENIN,
BYCOLLECTED
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL PITT EIVERS,
P.R.S.. F.S.A.P.C.L.,
Ancient Monuments in GreatInspector of Britain, fyc.
PEIVATELY,PRINTED
1900.LONDON :
HARRISON AND PRINTERS IN ORDINARYSONS, TO HER MAJESTY,
ST. MARTIN'S w.c.LANE,WORKS OF ART FROM BENIN,
WEST AFRICA.
OBTAINED BY THE AND NOWPUNITIVE EXPEDITION IN 1897,
PITTIN GENERAL RIVERS'S MUSEUM AT DORSET.FARNHAM,
of the in latitude 6'12BENIN is situated on the Guinea near the mouthCoast, Niger,
and 5 to 6 east.north, longitude
or commence-It was discovered the at the end of the fourteenthby Portuguese
the Dutch andof the fifteenth centuries. The were followedment Portuguese by
and in 1553 the first arrived on the and establishedSwedes, coast,English expedition
with the who received thema trade king, willingly.
at that time a Dutch narrative to have been aBenin large city,appears by quite
Thea and a broad street the centre.surrounded wall,by high having through
civilized. The a number of horses whichwere king possessedpeople comparatively
and become unknown. in saw threehave since Faulkner, 1825,disappearedlong
to the which he no one was bold to ride.horses king, says enoughsolitary belonging
describes the and of theIn 1702 a namedDutchman, Nyendaeel, city, speaks
He that the were makers of ornamentalhuman sacrifices there. greatsays people
learnt from the Itbrass work in his which seem to have Portuguese.day, they
there to to a to humanwas visited Sir Richard who wentBurton, try put stopby
Po. In 1892 it was visitedat the time he was consul at Fernandosacrifices, by
as the ruins of itsH. L. who of theGalloway, possessing onlyspeaks cityCaptain
had a to thethe abolition of the slave tradeformer ; put stop prosperitygreatness
with The townand the had intercourseof the king Europeans.prohibited anyplace,
had dwindled down to almostreduced to a collection of and its tradehad been huts,
in of the which has ledThe houses have a sort of the centrenil. rooms,impluvium
been derived fromthat their of architecture have thesome to suppose style may
of North Africa.Roman colonies
with and merchan-an of some 250In 1896 men, presentsexpedition, consisting
to advanceBritish settlements on the and endeavoured towardsleft the coast,dise,
was conducted with and but withTheBenin perseverance,expedition couragecity.Introduction.IV
toallAlmost contrarythe utmost rashness. precautions,unarmed, neglecting ordinary
of theand with the Kingadvice of the prohibitionthe chiefs, expressneighbouring
which had beeninto an ambuscademarchedof Benin to advance, straightthey
as their revolvers wereof the andforest on each sidefor them in the road,prepared
with thewere massacred to a manboxes at thelocked in their time, theyup
after the utmostand Mr.of Locke, who, sufferingtwo, Boisragonexception Captain
the coast to tell the tale.British settlements onto thehardships, escaped
entered onthe aWithin five weeks after Benin,occurrence, expeditionpunitive
but was afterwardsthe town. Theand took fled,18th brought1897, kingJanuary,
and his annexedhimself before hismade to humiliateback and territoryconquerers,
British crown.to the
state of bloodshed and saturated withwas found in a terribleThe disorder,city
to their or rites andhuman sacrifices offeredthe blood of customs,Juju, religiousup
"
as the of blood."beenfor which the had. cityplace long recognised
from thisthe to tradeWhat be hereafter expeditionadvantages resultingmay
the of chief interest in connection with theit is difficult to but subjectpointsay,
in the arid theof this was the houses,discovery, mostly king's compound Jujupaper
in and as before wereof numerous works of art brass, bronze, which, stated,ivory,
Van as been constructed thementioned the Dutchman, Nyendaeel, having byby
of Benin in 1700.people
the members of theThese were away punitive expeditionantiquities brought by
no ofand sold in London and elsewhere. Little or account them could be given by
was usual scientificthe and as the asnatives, anyexpedition unaccompanied by
andwith the of matters of historicinquiriesexplorer charged duty making upon
no reliable information about them could be obtained.interest, Theyantiquarian
were found buried and covered with some of them been usedblood, having amongst
the of their sacrifices.apparatus Juju
A collection of these the of Mr. Charles Read,good antiquities, through agency
has found its into the British others no doubt have fallen intoF.S.A., Museum;way
the hands of whose chief interest in them has been as relics of a sensationalpersons
and but their real value consists in their a of artbloody episode, representing phase
and rather an advanced of which there is no actual record,stage although
no doubt we cannot be far in it to influence,wrong attributing European probably
that of the some time in the sixteenthPortuguese century.
A. P. R.
RUSHMORE, SALISBURY,
1900.April,Benin.Works Art fromAntique of
I.DESCRIPTION OF PLATE
inwith broad swordstwo warriors1. Bronze leaf-shapedrepresentingFig. plaque,
ofCoralhands. Coral or head-dress.their chokers, badgeagateright
across shoulder.teeth necklace. Coral scarfrank. Leopards'Leopards'
with a human head.on left sides. Skirts each ornamentedheads hanging
usual foil ornamentetc. Ground ornamented with theanklets,Armlets,
incised.
in front.two or books2. Bronze figures holding plaquesFig. plaque, representing
of rank. Reticulated head-dresses of coral orCoral chokers, agate,badge
121. Barbed ofto that in Platesimilar XXI, objectsrepresented Fig.
lineunknown use behind left ornamented withshoulders, diaperstraight
onGround ornamented with foil ornaments incised. Guilloche
pattern.
ofsides plaque.
Bronze three two with feathers in head-dress3. warriors,plaque, representingFig.
leaves at one with button on The latterand trefoil ; helmet,top pot top.
has a coral of and all have teeth necklaces.choker, rank,badge leopards'
has a 011 shoulder. Two have hands onThe central casefigure cylindrical
sword-hilts. All heads on andtheir three have breast, quad-leopards'
skinsbells from neck. and otherhanging objects hangrangular Leopards'
on sides. Ground foilleft ornamented with ornaments incised.
of in4. Bronze warrior with shield on lefthand,plaque, figureFig. spear right
shoulder. ofHead-dress coral or similar to that inagate, represented
Plate 121. bell from neck. Chain-likeXXI, Fig. Quadrangular hanging
anklets. Coral of and teeth necklace. Achoker, rank,badge leopards'
nude attendant on a broad with asword,right upholds large leaf-shaped
attached to Another holds two sistri or bells fastenedring pommel.
a chain. Small on left is an tusktogether by figure blowing elephant's
above in are tablets or books. Thetrumpet. Figures profile holding up
of ofdress one them is fastened with or of unusual form. Thesetags loops
have Roman and not Ground orna-arefigures noses, evidently negro.
mented with the usual foil ornament incised.