This series is only listed in the Blue Book, it was displayed in case 68 at Bethnal Green and South Kensington Museums.

Blue number

PRM accession number

Blue book entry

Blue 362

1884.110.43

Case 68 362 Wooden bell Gaboon W Africa Ornamented with single coil and zigzag patterns The style of this pattern resembles that seen on Megalithic monuments at New Grange and elsewhere (T.N.* 1712) [* It is not known what TN refers to]

Blue 363

1884.64.3

Case 68 363 Stone sinker found in dredging on the Kentish coast ornamented with severe coil pattern. Supposed to have been dropped by some vessel returning from N Zealand (1730)

Blue 364

1884.62.33

Case 68 364 Wooden ornament with branching coil pattern (1696)

Blue 365

1884.62.32

Case 68 365 Box ornamented with continuous looped coil ornament N Zealand (1721)

Blue 367

1884.64.27

Case 68 367 Top of box ornamented with looped coil N Zealand (1709)

Blue 368

1884.54.59

Case 68 368 Ladle ornamented with plain and looped coils N Zealand (1708)

Blue 369

1884.63.17

Case 68 369 Staff ornamented with branching looped coil N Zealand (?1743)

Blue 370

1884.63.18

Case 68 370 Staff ornamented with broken looped coil N Zealand (1744)

Blue 371

1884.63.23

Case 68 371 Spear ornamented with looped coil N Guinea (1748)

Blue 372

1884.63.24

Case 68 371 Spear ornamented with looped coil N Guinea (1748)

Blue 373

1884.64.33

Case 68 373 Club ornamented with broken looped coil exactly resembling the N Zealand pattern. Obtained by natives by H.M.S. Rattlesnake Aug 1849 N Guinea (1718)

Blue 374

Not matched

Case 68 Club, single coil ornament Solomon Is. (1746)

Blue 375

1884.64.1

Case 68 375 Spear cane point single reverse coil ornament Conibo Indians S America (1747)

Blue 376

1884.64.34

Case 68 Pot, earthenware, coil pattern ornament B. Guiana (1751)

Blue 377

1884.63.25

Case 68 377 Paddle coil pattern S America (1745)

Blue 378

1884.63.26

Case 68 378 Club coil or fret pattern B Guiana (1714)

Blue 379

1884.64.37

Case 68 379 Bead ornament fret pattern S America (1734)

Blue 380

1884.63.76

Case 68 380 Basket top fret pattern S America (1695)

Blue 381

1884.64.32

Case 68 381 Comb fret and meander patterns in cotton S America (1733)

Blue 382

1884.64.28

Case 68 382 Cylinder of earthenware coil patterns Peru (1719)

Blue 383

1884.64.2

Case 68 Pot, ancient, fret pattern Peruvian (1697)

Blue 384

1884.64.19

Case 68 Pot, fret or meander pattern, obviously derived from the ancient Peruvian fret in 383. Made by the Indians of Rio-na-Po Ecuador (1752) Obtained by Mr Buckley in 1871
Added note: Meander A complicated variety of the fret pattern. To be seen as a border decoration on walls, Greek dresses, pottery &c ?Rio Napa (label sic)

Blue 385

1884.24.25 .1-2

Case 68 385 Sheath (cont'g dagger) ornamented with branching coils (1725)
Added Blue book entry - ?Sea Dyak Borneo

Blue 386

1884.24.27-28 1884.64.24

Case 68 386 Parang-Ihlang Sheath ornamented with looped coils Malay (1715)

Blue 387

1884.64.36 .11884.64.36 .2

Case 68 387 Parang shlang sheath ornamented with looped coils Malay (1717)

Blue 388

1884.63.86 .11884.63.86 .2

Case 68 388 Two glass beads continuous looped coils Japan (1722)

Blue 389

1884.63.89

Case 68 389 Bronze ancient ornamented with coil pattern Chinese (1699)

Blue 390

1884.64.25

Case 68 390 Ancient bronze vase inlaid with silver broken coil pattern and irregular fret adopted to spaces regular fret round the rim and continous waved pattern. This specimen shews the transition between the coil and fret patterns Chinese (1700)
Added Blue book entry - Japan[BB]

Blue 391

1884.64.31

Case 68 391 Ancient bronze bell continuous and broken frets Chinese (1707)

Blue 392 - 397

1884.107.20-24, 1884.63.80-85

Case 68 392 - 7 Cattle bells (6) illustrating transition between plain coil ornamented and branching tree pattern (1704 1706 1701 1702 1703 1705) Burmese

Blue 398

1884.12.271

Case 68 398 Club with pattern peculiar to the Marquesas continuous fret and semi-circular coil (1741)

Blue 399

1884.12.269

Case 68 399 Club similar form to 398 [1884.12.271] with fret pattern broken and lost Marquesas (1740)

Blue 400

1884.119.644

Case 68 400 Coil bronze period from which the coil patterns are supposed to be derived (1724)

Blue 401

1884.64.9 .11884.64.9 .21884.64.9 .31884.64.9 .4

Case 68 401 Sword bronze period Pommel ornamented with a continuous coil pattern Denmark (1720)

Blue 402

1884.80.20

Case 68 402 Stud bronze period continuous coil pattern Denmark (1735)

Blue 403

1884.64.10

Case 68 403 Ring brooch continuous coil pattern Found on the north shore of L Neagh Mar 1867 (1723)

Blue 404

1884.64.4

Case 68 404 Dish ornamented with continuous looped coil pattern Estruscan (1756)

Blue 405

1884.64.7

Case 68 405 Jug continuous fret pattern Etruscan (1750)

Blue 406

1884.64.5

Case 68 406 Jar waved pattern derived from continuous looped coil Etruscan (1755)

Blue 407

1884.64.6

Case 68 407 Jar ornamented with floral scroll Etruscan (1757)

Blue 408 - 410

1884.63.72

Case 68 408-10 Fragments of Samian pottery with floral scrolls Etruscan (1757)

Blue 411

1884.64.8

Case 68 411 Bronze ornament single reverse coil Roman (1724)

Blue 412

1884.24.215 .1-2

Case 68 412 Medieval dagger misericordia the holes in the blade pierced to receive poison. Sheath ornamented with continuous looped coil European (1713)

Blue 413

1884.63.42

Case 68 413 Bone or ivory ring with floral scroll Africa (1727)

Many years later Pitt-Rivers discussed this series at a talk he gave at Blackmore Museum, Salisbury, in 1889-90 when he said:

... I exhibit also a diagram, shewing the variations of the loop-coil patterns, known to architects as the Vitruvian Scroll, or by other terms. This is one of the earliest and most widely diffused patterns in the world. It was known in Egypt as early as the 5th Dynasty, and probably originated in the folding of a continuous cord or band on the embroidery of dresses. It was a common Greek and Persian pattern. It was the prevailing ornament of the Bronze Age, and retained its place in Celtic ornamentation, between the 5th and 10th Centuries. It extends, with its variations, to China and Japan, to New Guinea and New Zealand. But it is remarkable that it entirely skipped the Deccan of India, from which region, after many year's [sic] search, I have never found an example of it. When squared, instead of being laid in rounded forms, it became the fret-pattern, and in the double fret developed the Swastica, which became a religious emblem. When one side of it is shaded or blocked with colour, it becomes the so-called Wave pattern. When the intergram, which I exhibit. [sic] ...

Find a full version of this talk here.

 

AP, March 2011, Transcription by AP, August 2011

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