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Doe And Hope
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Early 20thC Collection of Nine Porifera/Sponges
1 of 6
The collection of nine preserved specimens of Porifera or sponge in differing sizes collected on the beaches of Benghazi in Libya in the early par of the twentieth century.
The specimens all show their age and are a little dusty as such and malt a little on movement. Some have small areas of loss though generally they are in good condition.
Benghazi had a strategic port location, one that was too useful to be ignored by the Ottomans. It was in 1578 that the Turks invaded Benghazi and it was ruled from Tripoli by the Karamanlis from 1711 to 1835, then it passed under direct Ottoman rule until 1911. Under Ottoman rule, Benghazi was the most impoverished of the Ottoman provinces. It had neither a paved road nor telegraph service, and the harbor was too silted to permit the access of shipping.
Greek and Italian sponge fishermen worked its coastal waters as before the invention of neoprene in 1930, the best source of porifera - the scientific name for sponges - was the sea floor, and the longstanding practice of Greek sponge-diving is well-attested in the historical record. With increased inter-Mediterranean trade during the early modern period, sponges became a major export from the Eastern Mediterranean ports of the Ottoman Empire. Particularly with the emergence of controversial machines used to harvest sponges, concerns regarding the threat posed to the sponge population (and the sponge-diving industry) naturally arose among Ottoman regulators.
Who knew there was so much history to the flora and fauna of the former Ottoman Empire? Beautiful.
SellerDoe And Hope
View all stock from
Doe And Hope
Private dealer, By appointment only
The Onion Barn, Shoe Cottage,
15 High Street, Blunham,
Bedfordshire, MK44 3NL.
MK44 3NL
Tel : 07729 213013
Non UK callers : +44 7729 213013
Get directions to Doe And Hope
The specimens all show their age and are a little dusty as such and malt a little on movement. Some have small areas of loss though generally they are in good condition.
Benghazi had a strategic port location, one that was too useful to be ignored by the Ottomans. It was in 1578 that the Turks invaded Benghazi and it was ruled from Tripoli by the Karamanlis from 1711 to 1835, then it passed under direct Ottoman rule until 1911. Under Ottoman rule, Benghazi was the most impoverished of the Ottoman provinces. It had neither a paved road nor telegraph service, and the harbor was too silted to permit the access of shipping.
Greek and Italian sponge fishermen worked its coastal waters as before the invention of neoprene in 1930, the best source of porifera - the scientific name for sponges - was the sea floor, and the longstanding practice of Greek sponge-diving is well-attested in the historical record. With increased inter-Mediterranean trade during the early modern period, sponges became a major export from the Eastern Mediterranean ports of the Ottoman Empire. Particularly with the emergence of controversial machines used to harvest sponges, concerns regarding the threat posed to the sponge population (and the sponge-diving industry) naturally arose among Ottoman regulators.
Who knew there was so much history to the flora and fauna of the former Ottoman Empire? Beautiful.
Price The price has been listed in British Pounds.
Conversion rates as of 15/APR/2025. Euro & Dollar prices will vary and should only be used as a guide.
Always confirm final price with dealer. Phone or visit the website to buy, Free UK shipping.
Category Natural History
Date c.1930-40
1930s Antiques Origin African
Item code as155a1334
Status Sold
£245.00 
$324.50 
€286.43 
$
€
Conversion rates as of 15/APR/2025. Euro & Dollar prices will vary and should only be used as a guide.
Always confirm final price with dealer. Phone or visit the website to buy, Free UK shipping.
View all stock from
Doe And Hope
Private dealer, By appointment onlyThe Onion Barn, Shoe Cottage,
15 High Street, Blunham,
Bedfordshire, MK44 3NL.
MK44 3NL
Tel : 07729 213013
Non UK callers : +44 7729 213013
Get directions to Doe And Hope
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