Pitt Rivers did not purchase a large number of items for the founding collection from England (that we know about), a total of 118 (out of a total of 6,272, or roughly less than 2 per cent). The recording of details for artefacts in the founding collection from before 1884 was not consistent, however, so other items might have been purchased, but the detail not noted.
Of the 118 artefacts known to have been purchased from dealers or sale rooms for the English part of the founding collection, a very large majority were purchased at one time, the Medhurst collection of artefacts from the Weymouth area from Sothebys, probably in 1879. A total of 94 artefacts are known to have been obtained then, 80 per cent of the known purchased English artefacts from the founding collection.
|
Accession number |
Who purchased from? |
What was it? |
What price paid? |
When? |
1 |
1884.2.1 |
Sothebys |
Key from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
2 |
1884.2.2 |
Sothebys |
Key from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
3 |
1884.2.22 |
Unknown |
Iron padlock |
Unknown |
1867 |
4 |
1884.2.23 |
Unknown |
Iron padlock |
Unknown |
1867 |
5 |
1884.5.35 |
Sothebys |
Spoon from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
6 |
1884.5.44 |
Sothebys |
Spoon from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
7 |
1884.5.49 |
Sothebys |
Spoon from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
8 |
1884.27.87 |
Sothebys |
Revolver [Nelegan collection] |
Unknown |
Sale 8.4.78 |
9 |
1884.30.53 |
Unknown |
Shield Umbo [Meyrick collection] |
Unknown |
Unknown |
10 |
1884.30.54 |
Unknown |
Shield Umbo [Meyrick collection] |
Unknown |
Unknown |
11 |
1884.35.40 |
Anthropological Institute |
Jar |
£40 with other AI objects |
Unknown |
12 |
1884.37.14 |
Sothebys |
Vessel |
Unknown |
1879? |
13 |
1884.37.15 |
Sothebys |
Vessel |
Unknown |
1879? |
14 |
1884.37.16 |
Sothebys |
Vessel |
Unknown |
1879? |
15 |
1884.37.23 |
Sothebys |
Vessel |
Unknown |
1879? |
16 |
1884.37.29 |
Unknown |
Vessel |
Unknown |
?1881 |
17 |
1884.37.30 |
Unknown |
Vessel |
Unknown |
?1881 |
18 |
1884.37.31 |
Last, Shrewsbury |
Vessel |
Unknown |
1870 |
19 |
1884.37.32 |
Last, Shrewsbury |
Vessel |
Unknown |
1870 |
20 |
1884.37.41 |
Unknown |
Vessel |
Unknown |
?1881 |
21 |
1884.37.54 |
Sothebys |
Vessel from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
22 |
1884.37.55 |
Sothebys |
Vessel from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
23 |
1884.37.56 |
Sothebys |
Vessel from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
24 |
1884.37.57 |
Sothebys |
Vessel from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
25 |
1884.37.58 |
Sothebys |
Vessel from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
26 |
1884.37.59 |
Sothebys |
Vessel from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
27 |
1884.37.68 |
Unknown |
Vessel |
Unknown |
1879 |
28-33 |
1884.46.14-19 |
Sothebys |
Comb from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
34 |
1884.50.2 |
Sothebys |
Horse shoe from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
35 |
1884.67.72 |
Williamson |
Figure |
Unknown |
?1879 |
36 |
?1884.76.140 |
Unknown |
Bead |
Unknown |
1881? |
37-38 |
1884.76.137, 138 |
Sothebys |
Beads from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
39-40 |
1884.79.56-57 |
Sothebys |
Fibuli from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
41 |
1884.80.21 |
Sothebys |
Belt ornament from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
42 |
1884.82.112 |
Sothebys |
Arm ornament from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
43 |
1884.104.79 |
Auction Mart near Bank of England |
Pottery whorl |
Unknown |
1865 |
44-47 |
1884.105.3-6 |
Sothebys |
Needles from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
48 |
1884.116.116 |
Mr Bolton, Cockermouth |
Strike-a-light |
Unknown |
Unknown |
49-80 |
1884.118.144-175, 178 |
Sothebys |
Bone tools from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
81 |
1884.118.176 |
Sothebys |
Weaving comb from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
82-83 |
1884.118.177, 179 |
Sothebys |
Antlers from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
84 |
1884.119.105 |
RUSI museum |
Axe |
Unknown |
Unknown |
85 |
1884.119.584 |
Sothebys |
Vessel from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
86-92 |
?1884.119.612-617, 634 |
Sothebys |
Unidentified object from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
93-96 |
1884.119.618-620, 1884.120.47 |
Sothebys |
Bed feet from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
97 |
1884.120.13 |
Sothebys |
Axe from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
98 |
1884.120.34 |
Sothebys |
Adze from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
99-100 |
1884.120.45, 48 |
Sothebys |
Spearheads from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
101-104 |
1884.121.4, 12, 13, 18 |
Sothebys |
Blades from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
105-106 |
1884.121.29, 31 |
Sothebys |
Tool from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
107 |
1884.121.30 |
Sothebys |
Pin from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
108 |
?1884.123.36 |
Unknown |
Stone axe |
Unknown |
1879? |
109 |
1884.123.473 |
Bryce Wright |
Stone tool |
Unknown |
Unknown |
110 |
1884.125.305 |
Bryce Wright |
Stone tool |
Unknown |
Unknown |
111 |
1884.127.65 |
Bryce Wright |
Stone tool |
Unknown |
Unknown |
112 |
1884.133.17 |
Unknown |
Stone tool |
2/- |
Unknown |
113 |
1884.140.485 |
Sothebys |
Bone tool from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
114 |
1884.140.557 |
Sothebys |
Bone tool from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
115-117 |
1884.140.563-565 |
Sothebys |
Unidentified objects from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
118 |
1884.140.646 |
Sothebys |
Buckle from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |
In addition there are the following possible objects that were purchased and might have formed part of the founding collection but have not yet been located and accessioned:
Accession number |
Who purchased from? |
What was it? |
What price paid? |
When? |
- |
?Bryce Wright |
Stone with cup holes |
Unknown |
1879? |
- |
Anthropological Institute |
Casts and mask of Coleridge's head [probably destroyed] |
Unknown |
1881? |
- |
Anthropological Institute |
?Death Mask Charles James Fox [probably destroyed] |
Unknown |
1881? |
- |
Anthropological Institute |
?Death Mask Lord Brougham [probably destroyed] |
Unknown |
1881? |
- |
Anthropological Institute |
?Death Mask Cromwell [probably destroyed] |
Unknown |
1881? |
- |
Sothebys |
2 Bone tools from Medhurst collection |
Unknown |
1879? |