Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)

WARI AND BENIN In August 1862 Burton joined Lieutenant-Commander Stokes on H.M.S. Bloodhound at Fernando Po for a trip up the Benin River to investigate some 'petty troubles' on the river and to visit the cities of Wari and Benin. The trip was recorded by Burton in three articles published in February, March and April 1863 in Fraser's Magazine and the following eight lots all illustrate scenes described in the text.

Details

Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)

Young Women of Wari

inscribed as title and further inscribed
'Trenches (?)/on/nose/cut extends/to tip', pencil on blue paper
3¾ x 5 7/8in. (9.5 x 14.9cm.)

Lot Essay

Possibly Ejos at Uperájá: 'The tribe-mark in both sexes is a line extending from the scalp down the forehead to the tip of the nose, made with a razor or a sharp knife, and blackened with charcoal and gunpowder ... The style of hair dressing is very wild. Some wear thrummops ... the women are not unfrequently pleasing, the eyes especially being large and well formed, clear as onyxes, and fringed with long up-curling lashes which this tribe does not remove.' (R.F. Burton, My Wanderings in West Africa, A Visit to the renowned Cities of Wari and Benin, Fraser's Magazine, LXVII, February 1863, pp. 146-7)

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