ANTIQUITIES FROM THE CITY OF BENIN AND FROM OTHER PARTS OF WEST AFRICA IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM
London: the British Museum, 1899. 136 pages, 185 photographs and 27 drawings. Hard board and cloth cover, folio size (14 3/4" x 19" 5/8). Item #1606
This extraordinary document, a scholarly and sumptuous volume, was first published in 1899 when the British were displaying the fruits of their punitive expedition. There is an excellent historical introduction and chapters on Ivory, European Influence, Dress, Ornaments, and Weapons. The emphasis, of course, is on the wonderful photographs and descriptions of each illustrated object, including the famous bronze plaques that are now in the Ethnographical Collections at the British Museum. A classic work, more than a century old, this wondrous volume remains one of the cornerstone works on Benin and African art.
Price: $1,650.00