S&SWM PR papers B498

B498

Dec'r 16th 1897

From J. & M.L. Tregaskis | Antiquarian Booksellers | "The Caxton Head" 232 High Holborn, London W.C.

General Pitt-Rivers,

Sir,

We have one of the Benin bronzes on which a considerable amount of public interest has lately been lavished, and most probably it is the only that that will ever be offered for sale, the others are all believed to be in the British Museum. It is a plaque 16 in high x 6 3/4 in. with two figures in very high relief; one a warrior holding a leaf shaped blade in one hand and an animal in the other, dressed in high helmet, a sort of collar of coiled rope with a row of upturned spikes, a band across breast, a skirt of feathers (?) and a peculiar sort of buskin. The smaller figure, holding a ram's head in his hands, is nude but the body appears to be tattooed.

These bronzes are supposed to have been made in the 16th century when the natives of W. Africa learned the art of bronze making from the Portuguese

This one was brought over by Commander E.R. Pears R.N. from whom we bought it. The price is 25 guineas.

Yours faithfully

J & MH Tregaskis per MLT

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Dec'r 18th 1897

From J. & M.L. Tregaskis | Antiquarian Booksellers | "The Caxton Head" 232 High Holborn, London W.C.

General Pitt-Rivers,

Sir,

We are obliged for your letter & having given it due consideration have decided that we should prefer you seeing the piece before you arriving at any definite decision respecting it. We should like to send it to you on inspection so will you please say if you like your railway parcels addressed to Tisbury station to be called for, as it is too heavy to send you by parcel post. We will reduce our price to £35 and think you will consider this fair when you see what a beautiful piece it is. There is really a very small margin of profit on the price we had to pay.

Yours faithfully
J & MH Tregaskis per MLT

This is Add.9455vol5_p1594 which PR purchased in January 1898.

Transcribed by AP for the Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project August 2011