Knowra Benin Bronzes Benin Bronzes Benin Bronzes are brass plaques, sculptures, and other artworks made for the royal court of the Kingdom of Benin. British forces looted thousands of them during the 1897 invasion.
Kingdom of Benin : A West African kingdom centered in present-day Edo State, Nigeria, whose monarchy and court flourished for centuries. The kingdom’s court commissioned the artworks and gave them political and ritual settings.
Brass : An alloy of copper and zinc, valued for its workability and golden appearance. The name “Benin Bronzes” commonly covers works made from brass rather than bronze.
Benin ivory mask : An ivory pendant mask of the Queen Mother Idia, made in the Kingdom of Benin. Its material and function differ from brass works, while its royal imagery connects it to court art.
Benin Expedition of 1897 : A British military invasion that captured Benin City and ended the kingdom’s independence in 1897. British forces seized thousands of artworks during the invasion and its aftermath.
African art : The diverse visual arts and material traditions of Africa’s peoples and societies. Benin works are a prominent tradition within the continent’s varied artistic histories.
Oba of Benin : The hereditary monarch and spiritual ruler of the Kingdom of Benin. The oba sponsored court production and appears prominently in many plaques.
Bronze : A copper-based alloy, usually made with tin, used for tools, sculpture, and other objects. The collection’s conventional name can mislead: many objects are brass, not bronze.
Benin bronze head : A cast-metal commemorative head representing an oba of Benin, made for royal ancestral rites. These heads exemplify how sculpture linked royal authority with remembrance of previous rulers.
Benin Punitive Expedition : The British colonial name for the 1897 military campaign against Benin City. The label “punitive” reflects the expedition’s imperial framing of the violence and looting.
Colonialism : A system in which one power dominates another territory and its people for political and economic gain. The artworks’ removal is inseparable from British imperial rule and military violence.
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