Pitt-Rivers and Fenton & Sons

Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Pitt-Rivers papers B413

"The Old Curiosity Shop" | 11, New Oxford Street, | London, W.C. ... | Fenton & Sons | 11th Oct '88

Genl Pitt Rivers

Dear Sir

I managed to buy the iron casket for you yesterday & left information for it to be forwarded to you with the bedstead. The key of the box could not be found when it was put up for sale, but the porter promised to have a good search & send it if he could find it.

The Oak Table I did not buy, as it realized £3-5-0

I omitted to mention to you yesterday a collection of 19 Hindoo Gods, carved in soapstone, which we have recently purchased. They are an interesting lot & you may perhaps like to see them when you are coming this way.

I am, Dear Sir,
Yours truly
WK Fenton

There do not appear be any bedsteads or caskets from Fenton in October 1888 listed in the second collection catalogue, there is an iron casket from him in October 1887, see Add.9455vol2_p349 /2 but this is presumably not the one. The Hindu religious figures were also not purchased, or at least are not listed in the second collection catalogue.

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"The Old Curiosity Shop" | 11, New Oxford Street, | London, W.C. ... | Fenton & Sons | 5th Nov. '88

Genl Pitt Rivers

Dear Sir

The shield as per enclosed sketch sent by you we have sold. It was about 20 inches in length.

We enclose sketch of a smaller specimen, without the brass centre, which may possibly interest you. [insert] Price 8/- [end insert]

This appears to be complete as it is.

Yours faithfully
Fenton & Sons

Pitt-Rivers had previously bought a shield very similar to this on 12.9.1887 from Fentons. The second sketch in S&SWM PR papers is too large to scan but looks like the attached catalogue image of Add.9455vol2_p341 /6 except the terminals appear to have tangs.

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"The Old Curiosity Shop" | Memorandum | Fenton & Sons Dealers in Antiques and Articles of Vertu | 11, New Oxford Street, | London, W.C. ... | May 14th 1895 | General Pitt Rivers 4 Grosvenor Gardens

Dear Sir

We send you wherewith a sketch of the Lead water Cistern mentioned to you last week. We have three offered to us, all of the same date 1738. On one of the others there is more ornamental border work. The price of them [insert] is [end insert] £18 each.

We are, Dear Sir,
Yours faithfully
Fenton & Sons

These items are not listed in the catalogue of the second collection

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"The Old Curiosity Shop" | 11, New Oxford Street, | London, W.C. ... | Fenton & Sons | Nov. 24th 1896

General Pitt Rivers

Dear Sir

In reply to your telegram we have today forwarded to Tisbury Station on approval the goods selected by Mr Gray and we have also added three other pieces of China with similar ornamentation on.

We must apologize for not answering before this your letter of the 5th inst, but we had been waiting to write and at the same time send you some sketches but our man who does this work has been too busy to attend to us. However anything good we do not think you have missed, for a number of the specimens in Webster's catalogue are our property & we allow him to illustrate them.

In future when we get anything special likely to suit you, we will communicate with you.

We beg to remain, Dear Sir,
Yours faithfully
Fenton & Sons

This probably refers to the items starting from Add.9455vol4_p1427 /2. It is not clear what ornamentation is being referred to.

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"The Old Curiosity Shop" | 11, New Oxford Street, | London, W.C. ... | Fenton & Sons | May 17th 1898

Genl Pitt Rivers

Dear Sir

We have a set of three masks from Tyrol which we think might interest you. Enclosed is a full description of them. The price of the set is £75.0.0. and if you would like them sent to you on approval we shall be pleased to do so on hearing from you.

We are, Dear Sir,
Yours faithfully
Fenton & Sons

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[in pencil at top] (Part of 17.5.1898)

"The Old Curiosity Shop" | 11, New Oxford Street, | London, W.C. ... | Fenton & Sons

Genl Pitt Rivers

Dear Sir

A set of three wooden masks belonging to the Brotherhood of Berehtelsläufer in the village of Lans near Innsbruck in Tyrol 17th century:-

The first one represents the Devil, head of a monster with large buck-horns

The second a spectre (bearded head of a man carved in Gothic lines)

The third a witch (head of a woman with very long nose)

The brotherhood runs with these masks during the holy nights of the Yule-time (Berchtelnacht) through the whole village, through every house, jumping and crying and dancing to expel the Devil and the evil spirits out of the houses.

These old wooden masks are extremely scarce, there exists a few in the Museum of the Prince of Hohenzollern in Sigmaringen, in the Germanic Museum in Nuremberg [insert] and [end insert] in the Ethnological Museum in the Museum for Volkstradt in Berlin.

These items are not listed in the catalogue of the second collection, so Pitt-Rivers may not have purchased them.

Transcribed by AP for Rethinking Pitt-Rivers August 2011.