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The Benin Bronzes are a group of several thousand [a] metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Edo State, Nigeria. The metal plaques were produced by the Guild of Benin Bronze Casters, now located in Igun Street, also known as Igun-Eronmwon Quarters.
6 wrz 2024 · Benin Bronzes, loose term used to describe thousands of artworks looted in 1897 by the British army during its violent invasion of Benin City, the capital of the historic kingdom of Benin (located in what is now Nigeria).
The 'Benin Bronzes' (made of brass and bronze) are a group of sculptures which include elaborately decorated cast relief plaques, commemorative heads, animal and human figures, items of royal regalia, and personal ornaments.
The British believed that they were cleansing the city and breaking the power associated with “fetishes” or “juju” through these acts of demolition and vandalization. During their attack, the British also looted the wide range of objects referred to as the Benin “Bronzes.”.
The Benin Bronzes are a painful reminder of the evil of colonialism and its continued impact on the colonised African society. Because they are held in their thousands outside of Africa where they were produced, the Benin Bronzes have faced calls for their return, both by Nigerians and concerned stakeholders all over the world.
17 sie 2021 · Most of the Benin Bronzes date from the two golden ages of Benin’s art: in the mid-1500s during the reign of Oba Esigie, and from 1735–50, during the reign of Oba Eresoyen. Read more | Benin: a kingdom cast in bronze, brought to ruin by Britain.
17 wrz 2022 · Learn about the Benin Bronzes, the 5,000 artefacts looted by British colonialists in 1897 from the former Kingdom of Benin. Find out how London's Horniman Museum and other institutions are returning them to Nigeria, where they will be displayed in a new museum.
