Page 96 - Works of Art from Benin-Nigeria- West Africa

80 Antique Works of Art from Benin.

DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XL.

301. Bronze cock, the feathers
Fig. represented by herring-bone pattern.
302 and 303. tusk formed as a The on the
Figs. Elephant's trumpet. mouthpiece
convex side ; with rattle. The loose pieces of the rattle carved out of the
solid, through the oblong apertures. Ornamented with three bands of
line and mud-fish
guilloche pattern ; straight diaper pattern, degenerate
interlaced, in two places.
304 and 305. Portion of an iron staff, ornamented with bands of bronze, on
Figs.
which are heads and bands of
figured human faces, leopards' looped strands,
similar to those on 139 and 140, Plate XXIII.
Figs.
306. Thin brass head ornament for horse, and a broad band to the
Fig. go along top
of the head and mane. The on the lower
figure part represents a crocodile,
head downwards, ornamented with rows of rivets. The band for the
copper
head is ornamented with a floral ornament of a
(floral guilloche) consisting
sinuous stem with a leaf out of each curve, similar to that shown
branching
on Figs. 209, 238 and 278. The whole of the ornamentation is in repousse
work, and is probably intended to be attached to leather.
307 and 308. Lower of an iron
Figs. portion staff, surrounded by bands of brass,
ornamented with strands and
leopards' heads, frogs, looped guilloche pattern.
Fig. 309. Square brass lamp, with four receptacles for wicks, one at each corner.
Ornamented with dots of repouss^ work, and suspended by an iron chain
with links and a hook.
long
310 to 313. Bronze with
Figs. lamp, apparently gold in its composition. The basin
patched and riveted with copper. The bands for suspension ornamented
with line and broken
straight diaper pattern (Fig. 312) guilloche pattern
united at in a human
(Fig. 313), top figure (Fig. 311), having the private
parts strongly pronounced. There are only one or two objects in this
collection in which this peculiarity occurs, which is so prevalent in the art
of most
savages.