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Pitt Rivers Museum

1905.38.27

Imitation of carnelian pendant [LMo 14/09/2011]


1905.38.27

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

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Collection type
Object
Description
Imitation of carnelian pendant [LMo 14/09/2011]
Geographical reference
Matabeleland Bulawayo
Person
Field collector Henry Balfour
PRM source Henry Balfour
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1905
Date collected
By 1905
Acquisition information
Donated: 1905
Materials and processes
Material Cellulose Nitrate
Object numbers
Accession number: 1905.38.27
Research and responses

This object has been examined and photographed by Margrit Reuss, research visitor, in 1996. [LMo 16/09/2011]

Cellulose nitrate, also called celluloid, was invented and introduced in the 1860’s, when it was used to imitate materials such as amber, carnelian, ivory and coral. This may be the pendant illustrated by M. Reuss, 1997, Imitationen aus frühen Kunststoffen in völkerkundlichen Sammlungen (dissertation), cat. 23, the length of which is said to be around 50 mm, but for which she gives the incorrect accession number of 1924.38.27. There is a copy of this dissertation in the conservation lab [RTS 5/1/2004].

Search terms: Ornament, Trade, Pendant