Painted votive offering

From the 16th to the 19th century, millions of Africans were abducted and transported to European colonies to be exploited as slaves. This trade made huge fortunes, until slavery was abolished and persecuted. These painted votive offerings were made by captains of slave ships who had evaded capture and successfully unloaded their human merchandise. The text states: "DNVRC Bayhano Ex-voto by Ventura Riera, today, 22nd of October 1846, being captain of the falucca Bayhano DBVR the second DGV, the third DMS at the latitude of 5º 56' N and longitudinal of 10º 12' E on the Cadiz Meridian, and at 8 o’clock in the morning, an English steam-powered warship was sighted, at a distance of 14 miles, wind NW, and we saw it was pursuing us. It was in our sight all day, but at 6 o’clock in the evening with little wind, and with said steamship at a distance of two miles away, the starboard wheel broke, and after one hour the wind was in our favour and, helped by the darkness, we succeeded in escaping from this invincible opponent."