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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.
26 kwi 2021 · Auction prices for Benin Bronzes started around GBP 5,500 in the 1950s (around USD 209,000 today). Those figures climbed steadily through the 20th century. In 2007, Sotheby’s sold a Benin head sculpture for $4.7 million. The winning bidder later purchased another Benin bronze piece for $13.8 million in a private sale.
6 wrz 2024 · Benin Bronzes Palace plaques, brass relief sculptures by Edo artists in the court of the kingdom of Benin (now Nigeria), 15th–19th century; in the British Museum, London, which houses the largest collection of Benin Bronzes.
After marauding British soldiers and officials walked away with thousands of priceless cultural artefacts from Benin, some were placed on loan to the British Museum by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in England, and many more were sold to British and German institutions, as well as private art dealers.
Display and interpretation of Benin “Bronzes” Within months of the Punitive Expedition at Benin City, some of the stolen loot was displayed in various museums in London. For example, 300 plaques were loaned to the British Museum and exhibited.
The relief brass plaques that used to decorate the Oba's (king's) palace are among the most well-known of all the royal arts of Benin. Although frequently described as 'Benin Bronzes' most plaques are made of leaded brass in various compositions. It is widely accepted that they date to the 16th-17th centuries.
28 lis 2022 · The Horniman Museum in south-east London is returning 72 items, including so-called Benin Bronzes, to Nigerian ownership - making it the first in the UK to officially take such action on this...
