Stolen Benin City Mask To Be Auctioned In London For N1.25b

Date: 22-12-2010 8:15 pm (14 years ago) | Author: kelly
- at 22-12-2010 08:15 PM (14 years ago)
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The admiralty confiscated most of the booty and auctioned it off to defray the costs of the expedition, although a sizeable group ended up in the British Museum. Among them is another of the same group of ivory masks. The technical skill of these cast bronze and ivory ritual sculptures astounded western audiences, and the dispersal of the Benin treasures paved the way for a reassessment of African art by artists and scholars. When Jacob Epstein saw this piece in an exhibition in London in 1947, he asked the family if he could exchange it for one of his sculptures. Its whereabouts remained unknown until the family contacted Sotheby’s last year. Jean Fritts, director of African and Oceanic art at Sotheby’s, said: “It has an amazing, untouched surface which collectors love. Its honey colour attests to years of rubbing with palm oil.” From the same collection, and offered alongside, are a carved altar tusk, two ivory armlets, a rare bronze armlet cast with Portuguese figures and a bronze sculpture usually described as a tusk stand. A bronze head of an Oba of around 1575-1625 was sold for a record $4.7m in 2007. The auction record for any African work of art is €5.9m.

Oba Ovonramwen’s £4.5m mask for auction in UK
Quote
By Agency Reporter
Wednesday, 22 Dec 2010
 16th Century Benin Ivory pendant mask put at £4.5m is to be offered for sale at Sotheby’s in London, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The mask, according to the Financial Times of London, is to be auctioned in February. It said it was one of the last great masterpieces of Benin sculpture remaining in private hands and was believed to have been worn by Oba Ovonranmwen before the British punitive expedition to Benin Kingdom in 1897.
Standing at 22cm high, the mask is being sold by the descendants of Lt.-Col. Sir Henry Lionel Gallwey, whow as the deputy commissioner and vice-consul in the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1891.
Galleway took part in the infamous expedition.
Meanwhile, the Director of African Oceanic Arts at Sotheby’s, Mr. Jean Fritts, has said the mask has an amazing, untouched surface which collectors love.
“Its honey colour attests to years of rubbing with palm oil,” he stated.
A bronze head of an Oba who ruled around 1575-1625 was sold for a record £44.7m in 2007.
There have been several calls for the return of artefacts stolen from the Benin Kingdom and kept in various art galleries around the world.

Posted: at 22-12-2010 08:15 PM (14 years ago) | Upcoming
- donuche at 22-12-2010 08:23 PM (14 years ago)
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none issue
Posted: at 22-12-2010 08:23 PM (14 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
- fortunesouth200 at 24-12-2010 07:14 AM (14 years ago)
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let the oba of benin go get that mask back from london it stolen so go get it dnt kill the benin kingdom i wish the oba reads this thnx
Posted: at 24-12-2010 07:14 AM (14 years ago) | Newbie
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- pally2 at 24-12-2010 08:58 AM (14 years ago)
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Am sure the world expects that we should just smile and be happy while we all watch the arrogance of these colonial thieves.
Well..............i wish the world all the best!
Posted: at 24-12-2010 08:58 AM (14 years ago) | Newbie
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- Solidstonez at 25-08-2012 05:01 PM (12 years ago)
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RETURN BACK OUR MASK
Posted: at 25-08-2012 05:01 PM (12 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Reply
- Solidstonez at 25-08-2012 05:01 PM (12 years ago)
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Quote from: Solidstonez on 25-08-2012 05:01 PM
RETURN BACK OUR MASK
Posted: at 25-08-2012 05:01 PM (12 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Reply
- Solidstonez at 25-08-2012 05:02 PM (12 years ago)
(f)
 Sad Sad Sad Sad Sad
Posted: at 25-08-2012 05:02 PM (12 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Reply
- Solidstonez at 29-08-2012 12:21 PM (12 years ago)
(f)
Quote from: fortunesouth200 on 24-12-2010 07:14 AM
let the oba of benin go get that mask back from london it stolen so go get it dnt kill the benin kingdom i wish the oba reads this thnx
Roll Eyes Roll Eyes Roll Eyes Roll Eyes Roll Eyes
Posted: at 29-08-2012 12:21 PM (12 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Reply
- ela214 at 29-08-2012 12:28 PM (12 years ago)
(f)
STOLEN OR SOLD???
Posted: at 29-08-2012 12:28 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
- steve232 at 19-01-2013 01:04 AM (12 years ago)
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Quote from: ela214 on 29-08-2012 12:28 PM
STOLEN OR SOLD???
what is your problem self  Roll Eyes Roll Eyes Roll Eyes
Posted: at 19-01-2013 01:04 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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