Provenance

3 events

Production

unknown to 1913

The object was produced in Edo State.

Unknown

1909 to 1913

The object is known to have come into contact with Northcote Whitridge Thomas, in Edo State.

Purchase

1911 to 1914

The object was purchased by the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge from Northcote Whitridge Thomas through Anthony Ashley Bevan with its destination in Cambridge.

Institution data

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge

The data was transferred directly by the institution.

Last updated: 2022-07-18

Language: english

Institution field	Value
idno object id	Z 12203
local edo designation
Physical description/0 description	Blacksmith's hammer for beating out metal longways.
Physical description/1 description	A metal hammer used for blacksmithing. Both handle and head made from a single piece of metal. The head is rectangular with a flat working face; the handle is cylindrical. There are some cracks in the surface of the metal and small amounts of rust.
Physical description/2 description
Physical description/3 description
Physical description/4 description
d_Description Name description	A metal hammer used for blacksmithing. Both handle and head made from a single piece of metal. The head is rectangular with a flat working face; the handle is cylindrical. There are some cracks in the surface of the metal and small amounts of rust.
height dimensions	25 mm
length dimensions	250 mm
width dimensions	65 mm
weight weight
Inscription inscriptions
Labels - Markings/0 inscriptions	The number '1239' has been written on the left side of the Thomas Collection label seen on the hammer.
Labels - Markings/1 inscriptions	Thomas label adhered to head of hammer reads: '1239 \| 196 / Hammer for blacksmith, for beating out metal. / Bini'
Labels - Markings/2 inscriptions
Labels - Markings/3 inscriptions
Labels - Markings/4 inscriptions
Labels - Markings/5 inscriptions
period date made
maker producer
d_Place production place	Africa; West Africa; Nigeria; Edo State; Benin City [Bini]
Other owners prior source
source prior source	Thomas, Northcote Whitridge [field collector]; Bevan, Anthony Ashley (Professor) [monetary donor]
Collection or Excavation Year date collected
culture group ethnic attribution	Edo
source date accession date
Amendments - updates/0 notes	There are 2 objects with this IDNO. The Accession Register reads "hammer", but has "stool" added after it. The metal hammer, with an adhered Thomas label notes "196" and on the left "1239" and "Hammer, for blacksmiths, for beating out metal."
Amendments - updates/1 notes	Record updated as part of the Museum Affordances project 2018-2020
Amendments - updates/2 notes	The catalogue card Z 12203 refers to a hammer with the Thomas number 196 (Catalogue 1). Subsequently a note was added describing a wooden stool which also bears the Thomas number 196. The stool was also added as a note in the Accession Register. It seems that this stool was erroneously labelled Z 12203 and both the stool and hammer were documented under this accession number, being assigned the suffixes .1-2 at a later date. The confusion between these two objects seems to have arisen due to having the same Thomas number, although from different catalogues. The stool is now understood to be Z 14050 which is numbered 196 in Thomas' 2nd Catalogue and was collected in Obu. It is similar in form to another stool collected during the 2nd Tour, also from Obu, Z 14011. Z 14050 was not located during the 2001 inventory project and was believed to be missing. All information about the stool has now been transferred to Z 14050 and the record for Z 12203.2 (previously the stool) has been deleted. Since there is now only one object with the accession number Z 12203, the suffix has been removed.
Amendments - updates/3 notes
Amendments - updates/4 notes
Exhibition/0 exhibition history
Exhibition/1 exhibition history
Reference Numbers bibliography	Z 12203 MAA: Z 12203.1 [incorrect no.] Other: 196 [Thomas Coll. - 1st Cat.]; 1239 [Thomas Coll. label]
References/0 bibliography
References/0 2 bibliography
References/1 bibliography
Related Documents/0 bibliography	Note on reverse of catalogue card reads: 'It may be that the hammer was the original 197 in which case it has been given the wrong number - but this can't be changed without altering the whole succeeding sequence'
Related Documents/1 bibliography	The hammer and stool are numbered '196' in the Thomas Collection, 1st Catalogue
Related Documents/2 bibliography	1st Thomas Catalogue notes numbers 1-249 as 'Bini (Benin City)'.
Related Documents/3 bibliography	See E 1910.118 and E 1913.3 records for further details about the Thomas Collection from Nigeria.
Related Documents/4 bibliography
Related Documents/5 bibliography
Related Documents/6 bibliography
Acquisition Details/0
Acquisition Details/1
Acquisition Details/2
Analysis/0
Analysis/1
Archaeology
Auction - Sale/0
Auction - Sale/1
CMS Context/0
CMS Description
Catalogue
Display/0
Display/1
Display/2
Display/3
Field_collection/0
Field_collection/1
Found_together - assemblage
Freezing
Online Only
Other/0
Other/1
Production - use
Remedial/0
Remedial/1
Surface Clean
unknown

Sensitive Content

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