Benin Bronzes
Encyclopedia
The Benin Bronzes are a collection of more than 3000 brass
plaques from the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin (located in present day Nigeria
). They were seized by a British
force in the Punitive Expedition of 1897 and given to the British Foreign Office. Around 200 of these were then passed on to the British Museum
in London
, while the remainder were divided between a variety of collections, with the majority being purchased by Felix von Luschan
on behalf of the Königliches Museum für Völkerkunde in Berlin
(the present-day Ethnological Museum
). In 1936, Oba Akenzua II
began the movement to return the art now known in modern discourse as the 'Benin Bronzes'.
The seizure of Benin art
and particularly the "Bronzes" led to a greater appreciation in Europe
for African culture. Bronzes are now believed to have been cast in Benin since the thirteenth century, and some in the collection date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Strangely the creation of bronze plaques is thought to have been revived by the arrival of European traders in Benin. The traders brought brass bracelets known as manilla
s which were exchanged for spices, ivory or slaves. This metal was melted down and used to create the plaques that decorated the palace in Benin.
The Bronzes depict a variety of scenes, including animal
s, fish
, human
s and scenes of court
life. They were cast in matching pairs (although each was individually made). It is thought that they were originally nailed to walls and pillars in the palace as decoration, some possibly also offering instructive scenes of protocol
.
The plaque shown at top right shows the Oba
who was the supreme ruler of Benin heading both religious and secular affairs. He is waited on by two attendants which shows his importance. Also in the picture are two Europeans who show the trade that was going on with Benin. The Europeans would have been Portuguese and their nationality is shown by their hats and long hair.
Nigeria, which includes the area of the Kingdom of Benin, bought around 50 Bronzes from the British Museum between the 1950s and 1970s, and has repeatedly called for the return of the remainder, in a case which parallels that of the Elgin Marbles
.
which was a series of radio programmes that started in 2010 and that were created in a partnership between the BBC
and the British Museum. The leading figures in this partnership were Neil MacGregor
and Mark Damazer
.
Gus Casely-Hayford presented 'Lost Kingdoms of Africa', a set of four television programmes for the BBC Knowledge channel in 2010, covering the Benin Bronzes. http://www.bbcknowledge.com/za/programmes/lost-kingdoms-of-africa/
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
plaques from the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin (located in present day Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
). They were seized by a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
force in the Punitive Expedition of 1897 and given to the British Foreign Office. Around 200 of these were then passed on to the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, while the remainder were divided between a variety of collections, with the majority being purchased by Felix von Luschan
Felix von Luschan
Felix Ritter von Luschan was an Austrian doctor, anthropologist, explorer, archaeologist and ethnographer.Note that the Ritter is not part of the name but a title, equivalent to the English knight or baronet.-Life:...
on behalf of the Königliches Museum für Völkerkunde in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(the present-day Ethnological Museum
Ethnological Museum of Berlin
The Ethnological Museum in Berlin is one of the largest ethnological museums in the world. It houses half a million pre-industrial objects, acquired primarily from the German voyages of exploration and colonialization of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries...
). In 1936, Oba Akenzua II
Akenzua II
Oba Akenzua II was an Edo king , son and heir to Oba Eweka II . In 1936, Oba Akenzua began the movement to return back to Nigeria the Benin Bronzes stolen in 1897 in the 1897 Punitive Expedition...
began the movement to return the art now known in modern discourse as the 'Benin Bronzes'.
The seizure of Benin art
Benin art
Benin art is the art from the Kingdom of Benin or Edo Empire , a pre-colonial African state located in what is now known as the South-South region of Nigeria. Benin art was produced mainly for the court of the Oba of Benin - a divine ruler for whom the craftsmen produced a range of ceremonially...
and particularly the "Bronzes" led to a greater appreciation in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for African culture. Bronzes are now believed to have been cast in Benin since the thirteenth century, and some in the collection date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Strangely the creation of bronze plaques is thought to have been revived by the arrival of European traders in Benin. The traders brought brass bracelets known as manilla
Manilla
Manilla may refer to:Currency*Manillas, the 'bracelet' currency of West AfricaPlace names* Manilla, New South Wales, Australia* Manilla, Indiana, United States* Manilla, Iowa, United States* Manilla, Ontario, Canada...
s which were exchanged for spices, ivory or slaves. This metal was melted down and used to create the plaques that decorated the palace in Benin.
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s and scenes of court
Noble court
The court of a monarch, or at some periods an important nobleman, is a term for the extended household and all those who regularly attended on the ruler or central figure...
life. They were cast in matching pairs (although each was individually made). It is thought that they were originally nailed to walls and pillars in the palace as decoration, some possibly also offering instructive scenes of protocol
Protocol (politics)
Protocol can mean any logbook or other artifact of a political meeting between persons from different nations, such as the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. The most notorious example of a forged logbook is "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion"....
.
The plaque shown at top right shows the Oba
Oba of Benin
The Oba of Benin, or Omo N'Oba, is both the oba of the Edo people and the pretender to the defunct title of the king of the Benin Kingdom...
who was the supreme ruler of Benin heading both religious and secular affairs. He is waited on by two attendants which shows his importance. Also in the picture are two Europeans who show the trade that was going on with Benin. The Europeans would have been Portuguese and their nationality is shown by their hats and long hair.
Nigeria, which includes the area of the Kingdom of Benin, bought around 50 Bronzes from the British Museum between the 1950s and 1970s, and has repeatedly called for the return of the remainder, in a case which parallels that of the Elgin Marbles
Elgin Marbles
The Parthenon Marbles, forming a part of the collection known as the Elgin Marbles , are a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures , inscriptions and architectural members that originally were part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens...
.
History of the World
These objects were chosen to figure in History of the World in 100 ObjectsA History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects was a joint project of BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum, comprising a 100-part radio series written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor...
which was a series of radio programmes that started in 2010 and that were created in a partnership between the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the British Museum. The leading figures in this partnership were Neil MacGregor
Neil MacGregor
Robert Neil MacGregor, OM, FSA is an art historian and museum director. He was the Editor of the Burlington Magazine from 1981 to 1987, the Director of the National Gallery, London, from 1987 to 2002, and was appointed Director of the British Museum in 2002...
and Mark Damazer
Mark Damazer
Mark Damazer CBE is the Master of St Peter's College, Oxford, and a former controller of BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 7 in the United Kingdom.He is the son of a Polish-Jewish delicatessen owner in Willesden in North London....
.
Gus Casely-Hayford presented 'Lost Kingdoms of Africa', a set of four television programmes for the BBC Knowledge channel in 2010, covering the Benin Bronzes. http://www.bbcknowledge.com/za/programmes/lost-kingdoms-of-africa/
External links
- African Art Museum - Nigeria
- Edoworld Benin Bronze
- Tribal arts Great Britain.