Benin Bronzes

From ArticleWorld

The Benin Bronzes are an assortment of more than 1,000 brass plaques. Britain secured the plaques during the Punitive Expedition of 1897 and gave them to the British Foreign Office, the governmental entity responsible for advancing Britain’s interests abroad.

Previously, Europeans thought that most African art was tribal and simple in nature. The complex nature of the bronze plaques built European appreciation for African art. Researchers believe Benin people first began casting bronze in the thirteenth century and the much of the Benin Bronzes collection is believed to be from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

The plaques illustrate animals, fish, people, and a variety of other images from everyday life in ancient Benin. Researchers believe that the plaques were used for both wall decorations and as a sort of instructional manual for Benin youths. The Benin Bronzes were cast individually but are made up of matching pairs.

Two hundred of the Benin Bronzes were added to the British Museum’s extensive collection, while the others were split amongst a number of other smaller groups.

Between the 1950s and 1970s, Nigeria bought about 50 plaques and other Benin artifacts from the British Museum. Once part of the ancient Kingdom on Benin, Nigeria has since demanded the return of the rest of the Benin Bronzes. Their campaign is similar to the demands of Greece and Egypt seeking their ancestral art pieces. Many question the ethics and legality of Britain and other countries keeping such items that were acquired under such harsh and brutal circumstances.