Provenance

5 events

Production

unknown to February 22, 1897 (day approximate)

The object was produced in Benin City.

Looted

February 22, 1897 (day approximate) to June 1899 (year approximate)

The object was looted by February 1897 Unknown member of the British colonial military campaign on Benin from Benin Kingdom.

Unknown

1902 (approximate) to December 2, 1905

The object is known to have come into contact with William Ockelford Oldman, later in London.

Purchase

December 2, 1905

The object was purchased by the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge from William Ockelford Oldman from London to Cambridge.

Restitution

February 8, 2026

The object was restituted by the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge to the Omo n'Oba n'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ọba of Benin & National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria from Cambridge to Nigeria.

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 21058
local edo designation
Physical description/0 description	Catalogue card notes: "Drum, with cylindrical wooden body carved in narrow vertical facets on lower section and horizontal rings in upper section. Skin typannum stretched with seven wooden pegs."
Physical description/1 description
Physical description/2 description
Physical description/3 description
Physical description/4 description
d_Description Name description	Drum, with cylindrical wooden body carved in narrow vertical facets on lower section and horizontal rings in upper section. Skin tympanum stretched with seven wooden pegs.
height dimensions	290 mm
length dimensions
width dimensions
weight weight	3.45 kg
Inscription inscriptions
Labels - Markings/0 inscriptions	A label adhered to the drum reads 'Drum - Benin / (Bt Oldman 1905)'
Labels - Markings/1 inscriptions	The hide has two markingg on the upper part that reads '8851' and the accession number. Both markings are in white.
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
Other owners prior source
source prior source	Oldman, William Ockleford [vendor]; von Hugel, Anatole [?donor]
Collection or Excavation Year date collected
culture group ethnic attribution	Edo
source date accession date	1905
Amendments - updates/0 notes
Amendments - updates/1 notes
Amendments - updates/2 notes
Amendments - updates/3 notes
Amendments - updates/4 notes
Exhibition/0 exhibition history
Exhibition/1 exhibition history
Reference Numbers bibliography	Z 21058 Other: 8851 [Oldman Coll.]
References/0 bibliography
References/0 2 bibliography
References/1 bibliography
Related Documents/0 bibliography	Catalogue card reads, in black ink: "Z. 21058 \| W. AFRICA \| Nigeria / Benin / Drum, with cylindrical wooden body carved in narrow vertical facets on lower section and horizontal rings on upper section. Skin typanum [sic] stretched with seven wooden pegs. / Labelled 'Benin (Bt. Oldman 1905)' and '8851.'" Red circular sticker in bottom right corner of card.
Related Documents/1 bibliography
Related Documents/2 bibliography
Related Documents/3 bibliography
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	The drum (Oldman no. 8851) was paid -/12/6 to W. O. Oldman on 2 December 1905. The receipt signed by Oldman can be found in one of the uncatalogued envelopes of correspondence in MAA's archives.
Auction - Sale/1	The drum (Oldman no. 8851) was sent to Anatole von Hügel by London dealer W. O. Oldman for approval on 24 November 1905. It was priced 12/6. The Oldman despatch form can be found in one of the uncatalogued envelopes of correspondence in MAA's archives.
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

Digital Benin collates digital material from institutions, and some of this material is inherently colonial and contains words, terms and phrases that are inaccurate, derogatory and harmful towards African and African diasporic communities. Catalogue transcriptions, book titles, exhibition titles and museum titles may contain harmful terms. We recognise the potential for the material to cause physical and mental distress as well as evoke strong emotions. Owing to the scale of the collection’s data, a process to implement sensitive-content warnings in the displayed data is still incomplete. The material within the catalogue does not represent Digital Benin’s views. Digital Benin maintains a strong anti-colonial, anti-racist position and affirms its support for centring the humanity of historically marginalised and disenfranchised communities. Read more about the background of this statement here