Collections Online | British Museum

Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience.

Sir William Gore Ouseley

Also known as: Sir William Gore Ouseley; primary name: Ouseley, William Gore
Details: individual; politician/statesman; academic/intellectual; British; Male
Life dates: 1797-1866
Biography: Diplomat in South America, writer and amateur artist; son of the Orientalist Sir William Ouseley (q.v.). Between 1825-32 attaché in Washington; 1832 to Rio de Janeiro as secretary of the legation. In 1838 Chargé d’Affaires in Brazil. In 1844 posted to Buenos Aires where he remained until 1847 when he was sent on a special mission to Montevideo in Uruguay, after which he returned to England. His book concerning the slave trade was published in London in 1850. It was directed against the proposals recently made in Parliament by William Hutt for withdrawing the squadron employed on the West Coast of Africa in checking the slave trade. In 1857 he was sent on another mission to Costa Rica as a Special Envoy, and afterwards went on to the United States. Returned to England in 1860 and died in 1866. His collection is recorded in the book of 'Christy Collection Additions 1866' as "a collection of objects of various kinds from Central America and Paraguay collected by the late Sir William Ouseley" and as having been "purchased from the Hon. Mrs Fitzmaurice [presumably his duaghter] for £5 and considered as taken in exchange for rings paid for by O[ctavius] Morgan Esq." Works from the Ouseley collection are blocked between Am.2517 to 2551 (as well as elsewhere). They are identified on the Christy Slips with the initials G.O. This can be proved from (eg) Am.2549, a group of 10 reeds, where the Slip reads "3 are from Kew, Sir W. G. O. 7"; and from Am.2548 "G.O. Ascuncion July 56".
Bibliography: ODNB (wrote) Remarks on the statistics and political institutions of the United States‚ with some observations on the ecclesiastical system of America‚ her sources of revenue, 1832 Notes on the Slave Trade‚ with Remarks on the Measures Adopted for its Suppression, 1850

68 related objects

arrow

Museum number: Am1869,DUP.53 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Gran ChacoFound/Acquired:Paraguay

arrow

Museum number: Am.2134 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Gran ChacoFound/Acquired:Paraguay

arrow

Museum number: Am.2130.b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Gran Chaco

arrow

Museum number: Am1869,DUP.52 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Gran ChacoFound/Acquired:Paraguay

arrow

Museum number: Am.2130.a |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Gran Chaco

arrow

Museum number: Am.2132 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Gran ChacoFound/Acquired:Paraguay

arrow

Museum number: Am.2131 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Gran ChacoFound/Acquired:Bolivia

arrow

Museum number: Am.2133 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Gran ChacoFound/Acquired:Paraguay

arrow-head

Museum number: Am.2546.a-f |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

basket

Museum number: Am.2444.a |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:ParaguayFound/Acquired:Brazil (country)

basket

Museum number: Am.2425.a |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

bottle

Museum number: Am.2529 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

bow

Museum number: Am.2124 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Central AmericaFound/Acquired:South America

bowl

Museum number: Am,CA.8 |
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot:San José (province - Costa Rica)

box

Museum number: Am.2538.a |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

box

Museum number: Am.2539.a |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

ceremonial adze

Museum number: Oc.82 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Mangaia

container

Museum number: Am.2534 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

container

Museum number: Am.2522 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Central AmericaFound/Acquired:South America

container

Museum number: Am.2524 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

container

Museum number: Am.2525 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Central AmericaFound/Acquired:South America

container

Museum number: Am.2526 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

container

Museum number: Am.2527 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

container

Museum number: Am.2528 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

container

Museum number: Am.2541 |
Ethnic group: Made by:PayaguaMade by:Guaihuru |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Chaco (Paraguay)Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

cup

Museum number: Am.2532.b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

cup

Museum number: Am.2532.c |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

cup; pot

Museum number: Am.2523 |
Cultures/periods: x72338 Colonial (Americas) |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

cup

Museum number: Am.2533 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

dish

Museum number: As.3776 |
Cultures/periods: x23229 Qajar dynasty |
Production date: 19thC |
Production place: Made in:Iran |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Iran

figure

Museum number: Am.2518 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

figure

Museum number: Am.2517 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

figurine

Museum number: Am,CA.3 |
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot:Costa Rica

figurine

Museum number: Am,CA.4 |
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot:San José (province - Costa Rica)

finger-ring

Museum number: Am.2551.a-b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

finger-ring

Museum number: Am.2551.c |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

flask

Museum number: Am.2511 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

flask

Museum number: Am.2510 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

flask

Museum number: Am.2512 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

head-dress

Museum number: Af.2770 |
Production place: Made in:Africa

lid

Museum number: Am.2540 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

lid

Museum number: Am.2539.b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:ParaguayFound/Acquired:Brazil (country)

lid

Museum number: Am.2538.b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

lid

Museum number: Am.2444.b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:ParaguayFound/Acquired:Brazil (country)

lid

Museum number: Am.2425.b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

lip-ring; ear-ring

Museum number: Am.2549.a |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

lip-ring; ear-ring

Museum number: Am.2549.d-j |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

lip-ring; ear-ring

Museum number: Am.2550.b-h |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

mug; cup

Museum number: Am.2513 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

necklace

Museum number: Am.4116 |
Production date: 1860s |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:North AmericaFound/Acquired:Central America

sceptre; staff

Museum number: Am.2508 |
Ethnic group: x84397 Made by:Munduruku |
Production date: 19thC |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

shield

Museum number: Af.2726 |
Ethnic group: Made by:SomaliMade by:Swahili |
Production date: 1865 |
Production place: Made in:Zanzibar (state)

smoking-pipe; religious/ritual equipment

Museum number: Am.2515 |
Ethnic group: Made by:GuaranaMade by:Guarani |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:ParaguayFound/Acquired:Gran Chaco

smoking-pipe

Museum number: Am.2548.a |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asunción (city)

smoking-pipe; religious/ritual equipment

Museum number: Am.2516 |
Ethnic group: Made by:GuaranaMade by:Guarani |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

smoking-pipe-cover

Museum number: Am.2548.b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asunción (city)

spear

Museum number: Af1979,01.2570 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Africa

stirrup

Museum number: Am.2146.a-b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:MexicoFound/Acquired:Brazil (country)

stirrup

Museum number: Am.2147.a-b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:MexicoFound/Acquired:Brazil (country)

stirrup

Museum number: Am.2521.a-b |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

vegetal remains

Museum number: Am.2544 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)

vessel

Museum number: Am.2536 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

vessel

Museum number: Am.2532.a |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

vessel; pot

Museum number: Am.2530 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

vessel

Museum number: Am.2542 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:North AmericaFound/Acquired:South America

vessel

Museum number: Am.2543 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:North AmericaFound/Acquired:South America

vessel

Museum number: Am.2531 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Paraguay

vessel

Museum number: Am.2535 |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Brazil (country)