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Snuff mull formed from elephant tusk presented to the Officer's Mess, 94th Regiment by Major and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Murray, 1880 (c)

Silver-mounted ivory, by Stephen Smith, hallmarked London 1880-1881.

Snuff mulls are large snuff containers for table-top use. This exotic mull is formed from a large elephant tusk with silver fittings, mounted on a wooden stand. The tusk socket is bound with spiralling scrolls inscribed with battle honours of the 94th Regiment. The base end contains a snuff mull, with oval-hinged lid bearing engraved elephant and inscription relating to the taking of the tusk at Sekukuni's kraal in November 1879.

Based in the eastern Transvaal, the Pedi kingdom of Sekukuni (or Sekhukhune) was regarded as a threat to white settlement. In September 1879, following the Zulu War, Lieutenant General Sir Garnet Wolseley deployed two columns against Sekukuni. On 28 November, Wolseley attacked the Pedi capital which was overrun after a determined resistance. Sekukuni was captured and imprisoned in Pretoria, but was released when independence was restored to Transvaal in 1881. He was murdered by his half-brother, Mampuru, in 1882.

NAM Accession Number

NAM. 1951-11-88-1

Copyright/Ownership

National Army Museum Copyright

Location

National Army Museum, Study Collection

Object URL

https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1951-11-88-1