African Galleries in the BM
 

Poor images from a shaky hand, late for a meeting in a dark room (3 excuses in one sentence!)
Maybe it will inspire Tim to drag out his camera, pop down there and get better images.

more

and more

Thank you very much Brian!!!!!! :)

Fantastic Brian, good pictures in difficult conditions ....certainly prompted me to organise a trip in the very near future ;)

Regards David

P.S. Ah.... next time ....could you get pictures of the alarm systems, CCTV etc .....I'm considering a late night visit to the Museum...to boost my own collection .. :D :D ;)

Wow nice pics. Funny the BM'S stuff is almost as good as the examples in our collections :D :p ;)

Lew

This is only a small sample, you should see what is in the stores.

Well, for my next trip to London...Thanks for the pics.
Last year I go to the Haly Fair, good place for textiles and some Tribal Art, in London.
Last week-end I was in the Quai Branly museum in Paris to see the exhibit on the New Ireland, very good mask and statues from PPNG.Something to see...
Luc

Here's a postcard I found amongst the ones I have. I mainly interested in postcards if they show pics of warriors (especially from Africa).

This picture was taken at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervueren (Belgium). Even now the displays at that museum are 'old fashioned', but they show a lot of tribal art (weapons included).

This showcase is filled with Songye (Nsapo-nsapo) axes and Kuba knives.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../Tervuren1.jpg

Hi Brian,

I noticed that your 2nd post has a picture of a mail shirt. Where was it from please? And is it African or imported?

Thanks,

Hisham

I have a feeling that particular mail shirt is from West Africa. From one of the Sultanates that make up the Sahel.

I think what Hisham is hinting at, is whether the shirt is African or adapted in Africa from an earlier source. There are a few examples of Ottoman helmets and shirts that have been adapted and re-used in North Africa in the 19thC, and some of these date back to the 15th/16thC.
Unfortunately, I was very late, and just had enough time to take the images, and not closely examine the links to see it they were of an Ottoman style. Possibly they are. I do remember they were riveted.
Next time I pass there (fairly often) I'll pop in and have a closer look.

My point is that it is just as likely made in the region, as they were made in the Mahdist Sudan, Africa. :shrug: