Benin Bronzes

The Benin Bronzes are a collection of metal sculptures and plaques made from brass and bronze from the West African Kingdom of Benin, which is today part of Nigeria. They were used as decoration of the royal palace in Benin from the sixteenth century to the onset of British colonial occupation in the nineteenth century. The general designation of Benin Bronzes can also be applied to other art objects made from leather, ivory, wood, or coral and crafted by the special royal court guilds of the Benin Kingdom.

The king, known as “Oba,” in Benin City commissioned the metal sculptures for himself and for the shrines of past Obas and queen mothers. They were used in ancestor worship rituals and in ceremonies when a new Oba took the throne. In addition, they provided a historical record of the kingdom and its royal court affairs. While still being decoded, this record provides historians with some valuable insights into the kingdom’s dynastic and social histories. It also shows how it interacted with other kingdoms and societies.

Background

Some early European explorers doubted that the craftsmen of Benin could produce such fine metalwork. They suggested that their knowledge was the result of their early contact with the Portuguese through trade. However, it later became known that the art developed by the royal guilds preceded any contact with European tradesmen. Although the kingdom did interact with Portuguese traders, the process of making such fine artwork was already well established by that point.

The Kingdom of Benin and its capital city, Benin City, was a major hub in West Africa from the fifteenth century until it became part of the British Empire in 1897. The Oba held court in his palace, which was the cultural center of the realm. Warriors, chiefs, priests, wealthy land owners, foreign merchants, and other prominent members of society took part in ceremonial court activities. These activities were documented in the elaborate designs of hundreds of plaques that portrayed royal court happenings. The plaques were then hung on pillars in the many buildings and courtyards that made up the vast royal palace in Benin City. When one Oba died, the next Oba would have a bonze head commissioned to be made of the deceased king, not only out of respect, but to stand as a record of Benin kingship.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Europe’s major powers began to increase their involvement in the colonization of Africa. Near the century’s end, the nations had begun a literal “Scramble for Africa,” and began to carve the continent into foreign colonies. Britain’s 1897 Benin Expedition set off with the pretext of a peaceful visit; however, its true intent was to facilitate the capture of the kingdom, overthrow the Oba, and install a colonial government. The expedition was warned by the kingdom not to visit during the requested time because foreigners were not allowed in the city while ceremonial rituals were being performed. However, the expedition arrived anyway and were met by a force of Benin warriors who killed all but two members of the party.

In response to the massacre, the British government sent a well-armed expedition to Benin that attacked and destroyed the city that same year. This military operation took the artwork in the palace and its royal shrines, which included the Bronzes, as spoils of war. The royal palace was burned, and the Oba was sent into exile. Other officials and chiefs of the kingdom were killed.

Overview

The metal of the Bronzes was forged using a lost-wax casting technique, with the plaques and sculptures considered an outstanding example of this technique. It is thought that Benin artists may have been taught the techniques used by artists from Ife, which was the holy city of the Yoruba in Nigeria. Similar sculptures dating the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries have been discovered there.

Bronze was an important material in the Kingdom of Benin. It was the principal metal decoration and was used in various ornaments, such as bells, jewelry, receptables, and other ritualistic objects. The Oba had control of the fine materials of his kingdom and used his influence to ensure the metal was used by the most skilled members of the guilds to craft the Bronzes. Only the king could own the Bronzes, although in some circumstances, a high-ranking official could use some of the items, such as masks or jewelry, for rituals.

The design of the Benin Bronze plaques is rectangular with a relief figure within it crafted specifically to highlight contrast in the way light falls. This gives the subjects a natural-looking appearance when viewed as a whole. The head of the figure was considered sacred, so the features and proportions are generally exaggerated, with larger-than-life noses, lips, and ears. A leopard would sometimes also be depicted to represent the Oba. The backgrounds of the plaques have intricate patterns of leaves as the motif of leaves is significant in worship of the god of the sea and in healing ceremonies.

The plaques often display important court officials or kings in ceremonial dress or warriors ready to do battle. They were also used in ancestral altars as decorative worship objects. Some held engraved elephant tusks on the altars. While the depictions of the Obas and queen mothers are commemorative, they are not meant to be an actual depiction of their likeness. They instead are stylized according to the time period and are archetypical depiction of the person.

The Bronzes ended up in several different private British collections. Many were later sold to museums in Europe or the Americas. German museums collectively house the most Bronzes, mainly in museums in Berlin, Hamburg, and Dresden. The British Museum in London houses the largest percentage of this collection in a single museum. The British Museum sold some of the Bronzes between the 1950s and 1970s, and exchanged or donated others to the Nigerian and Gold Coast government to be displayed in West African museums.

Bibliography

Aikhionbare, Ikponmwosa. “Benin Bronze Castings; Origin of Bronze Casting in Benin Kingdom.” Info Guide Nigeria, 17 July 2015, infoguidenigeria.com/benin-bronze-castings/. Accessed 9 May 2022.

“Benin Bronzes.” The British Museum, 2022, www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/contested-objects-collection/benin-bronzes. Accessed 9 May 2022.

Greenberger, Alex. “The Benin Bronzes, Explained: Why a Group of Plundered Artworks Continues to Generate Controversy.” Art News, 2 Apr. 2021, www.artnews.com/feature/benin-bronzes-explained-repatriation-british-museum-humboldt-forum-1234588588/. Accessed 9 May 2022.

Howe, Ellen. “Recovering the Brilliance of a Benin Bronze.” Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2022, www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/conservation-and-scientific-research/conservation-stories/2020/benin-horn-player. Accessed 9 May 2022.

Marshall, Alex. “This Art Was Looted 123 Years Ago. Will It Ever Be Returned?” The New York Times, 29 Oct. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/arts/design/benin-bronzes.html. Accessed 9 May 2022.

“Museum Insights: The Raid on Benin, 1897.” Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, 2022, africa.si.edu/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/visionary-viewpoints-on-africas-arts/the-raid-on-benin-1897/. Accessed 9 May 2022.

“Two of Nigeria’s Looted Benin Bronzes Returned to Traditional Palace.” The Guardian, 19 Feb. 2022, www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/19/nigerias-looted-benin-bronzes-returned-to-traditional-palace. Accessed 9 May 2022.