The Prince and the Plunder

A book on how Britain took one boy and piles of treasures from Ethiopia

Category: The Plunder

Censer with angels

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A censor decorated with angels, given by Secretary of State for India, Sir Stafford Henry Northcote

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

Provenance: Used as an illustration on the museum’s Maqdala collection page.

The catalogue entry reads:

“Censer with lid made of silver in the form of a square container on a pyramidal base, engraved with serpentine motifs. The container is engraved on all four sides with pairs of angels with their wings crossed in front of them in fear of divine glory. There are four suspension points, one in the centre of each side and suspension points at each corner, only one of which has a spherical silver bell. The separate arched lid is cut away with rows of four crosses with both the cut-out and solid form creating cruciform motifs. The lid is surmounted with an open work box and an ornate cross with suspension loop.”

Details
Museum number: Af1868,1230.4
Date: 18thC
Acquisition name: Sir Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh
Acquisition date: 1868

Posted In Censers & sistrums | Sacred artefacts | The Plunder
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Shotel sword and sheath with brass pommel *

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A shotel sword and sheath with a brass pommel, given by Secretary of State for India, Sir Stafford Henry Northcote

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

The catalogue entries read: 

“Shotel forged from iron with carved wooden hilt. The double edged sword is sickle shaped with a central riser and is bevelled on either side towards the the edges.”

“Sheath for shotel made of leather, decorated on the outer surfaces with a layer of red saffian leather tooled with linear and cruciform decorations. The sheath is stitched centrally along one side with leather thread using a herring bone stitch. Around the top edge of the opening is a decorative binding of plaited leather. A leather belt with a large metal buckle is stitched to the top of the sheath. The end of the sheath is decorated with a cast brass pommel, lomi, which is pressed into the tip of the sheath and secured by a band of stitched green leather. The spherical pommel has three concentric bands and a small round finial.”

Detail
Museum number: Af1868,1230.9.a and Af1868,1230.9.b
Date: 19thC(mid)
Acquisition name: Sir Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh
Acquisition date: 1868

Posted In Military | The Plunder | Weapons
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Bridle with silver discs *

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A bridle, given by Secretary of State for India, Sir Stafford Henry Northcote

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

The catalogue entry reads:

“Bridle, comprised of reins, curb bit and headgear made of leather and iron. The reins are made of plaited leather decorated at the top with an elaborate leather coil. They are attached to the curb bit by a series of knots. The bit, made of iron, has two parts, a “u” shaped bar which rests on the animals tongue and a moveable ring which goes around the animals lower jaw. The leather headgear is attached to the bit by a series of leather loops and knots. The headgear consists of two cheek bands and a nose band; each decorated with two silver discs with elaborate conical bosses and punched design around the edge and one rectangular silver ornament with daisy motif and a punched design. The cheek bands are further decorated where they attach to the bit with leather embroidery.”

Details:
Museum number: Af1868,1230.13
Date: 19thC(mid)
Acquisition name: Sir Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh
Acquisition date: 1868

Posted In Horse tack | Military | The Plunder
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Censer

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A censer with a small piece of corrosion, taken by the British Museum’s expert on the expedition, Richard Rivington Holmes

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

Provenance: Maqdala referenced at length in the museum’s acquisition notes.

The catalogue entry reads:

“Censer cast in bronze in two parts; a square bodied container on pyramidal base and an arched, open work lid. The body of the container which has a Ge’ez inscription on one side, has a suspension ring on each corner and one centrally placed on three sides of the rim, one is missing. Three chains pass through the centrally placed rings to corresponding rings on the top of the lid securing it in place. One chain is missing. The chains, with multiple round bells are attached to a hollow, cast handle. A square patch on the top of the lid indicates a missing finial. The inner surface of censer is encrusted with burnt incense.”

Partial inscription translation:
This [..] was given for Aba Tekle Haymanot […]

Detail: 
Museum number: Af1868,1001.14
Condition: Patch of corrosion and small hole to one side of container.
Previous owner/ex-collection: Sir Richard Rivington Holmes
Acquisition date: 1868

Posted In Censers & sistrums | Sacred artefacts | The Plunder
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Hide shield with charms

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: Shield with charms attached to the handle, taken by the British Museum’s expert on the expedition, Richard Rivington Holmes

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

Provenance: Maqdala referenced at length in the museum’s acquisition notes.

The catalogue entry reads:

“Shield made of hide, hippo or buffalo. The circular shield is domed with a central, integral boss and raised, rolled rim. The upper surface of the shield is decorated with a tooled linear pattern of concentric circles and a radial pattern around the boss. Two hide thongs pass through the front of the shield, secured with large knots either side of the boss securing the hide handle at the back. The handle is made of wood covered with hide. Attached to the handle, on a hide thong, are four small charm cases made of stitched cotton and leather. Around the rim of the shield are a series of seventeen holes. A hide thong is passed through two of these, knotted at the front, with a loop at the back. This is attached to the charms by a length of iron wire. One other hide thong is knotted through one of the holes, the other end is broken.”

Detail
Museum number: Af1868,1001.32
Date: 19thC
Previous owner/ex-collection: Sir Richard Rivington Holmes
Acquisition date: 1868

Posted In Military | Shields | The Plunder
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Seed necklace

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: Seed necklace with Venetian beads taken by the British Museum’s expert on the expedition, Richard Rivington Holmes

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

Provenance: Maqdala referenced at length in the museum’s acquisition notes.

The catalogue entry reads: “Necklace of brown seeds, eight large Venetian polychrome beads, two blue faceted beads, one amber bead, a carved mother of pearl bead and a small moulded black bead strung onto blue cotton cord.”

Detail
Museum number: Af1868,1001.30
Date: 19thC
Previous owner/ex-collection: Sir Richard Rivington Holmes
Acquisition date: 1/10/1868

Posted In Clothes & ornaments | Miscellaneous | The Plunder
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