Benin Bronzes

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. Collectively, the objects form the best examples of Benin art and were created from the fourteenth century by artists of the Edo people.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} The plaques, which in the Edo language are called Ama,^[8] depict scenes or represent themes in the history of the kingdom.^[9] Apart from the plaques, other sculptures in brass or bronze include portrait heads, jewelry, and smaller pieces.

Some of the dramatic sculptures date to the fourteenth century, but the bulk of the collection dates to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is believed that two "golden ages" in Benin metal workmanship occurred during the reigns of Esigie (fl. 1550) and of Eresoyen (1735–1750), when their workmanship achieved its highest quality.^[10]

Most of the plaques and other objects were taken by British forces during the Benin Expedition of 1897 as the British Empire's control was being consolidated in Southern Nigeria.^[11] This Expedition was positioned by British sources as retaliation for a massacre of an unarmed party of British envoys and a large number of their African bearers in January 1897. Some Contemporary scholars, such as Dan Hicks, argue that the Expedition was part of a broader series of premeditated attacks, framed as retaliatory or punitive, to further European imperialistic and economic interests in Africa.^[12] Following the Expedition, two hundred pieces were taken to the British Museum in London, while the rest were taken to other European museums.^[13] A large number are held by the British Museum^[11] with other notable collections in Germany and the United States.^[14]

Some erroneously concluded that Benin knowledge of metallurgy came from the Portuguese traders who were in contact with Benin in the early modern period.^[7] The Kingdom of Benin was a hub of African civilization long before Portuguese traders visited,^[15][16] and bronzes were made in Benin prior to the arrival of the Portuguese.^[17] The Benin bronze sculpture tradition is thought to have derived from or been influenced by that of the older nearby Kingdom of Ife in southwest Nigeria.^[5][6][7]

While the collection is known as the Benin Bronzes, like most West African "bronzes" the pieces are mostly made of brass of variable composition.^[b] There are also pieces made of mixtures of bronze and brass, of wood, of ceramic, and of ivory, among other materials.^[19] The metal pieces were made using lost-wax casting and are considered among the best sculptures made using this technique.^[20] Benin began to trade ivory, pepper, and slaves^[21] with the Portuguese in the late 15th century and incorporate the use of manillas (brass ingots in the form of bracelets, bought from the Portuguese) as a metal source in their sculpture. The manillas' brass, previously suggested to come from The Netherlands, is now thought to come from the Rhineland region of Germany.^[22][23][24]

Since November 2022, information on the Benin Bronzes and other artifacts from the Kingdom of Benin can be accessed through the online platform Digital Benin.^[25]

On 29 November 2022, it was announced that the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill, London had signed its Benin Bronzes back to Nigeria. The formal signing ceremony took place on the evening of 28 November 2022 in front of Nigerian royalty and other dignitaries.^[26] On 7 May 2023, the Bronzes were given to the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, through a presidential decree, and effectively became his private property.^[27][28]

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