What countries have Benin Bronzes?
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What countries have Benin Bronzes?
The Benin Bronzes are a group of more than a thousand metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin in what is now Nigeria. Collectively, the objects form the best-known examples of Benin art, and were created from the thirteenth century onwards by artists of the Edo people.
Are there Benin Bronzes in the US?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has held one of the largest collections in the U.S. of Benin Bronzes, a group of objects looted by British soldiers in 1897 from the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Nigeria. Sending back the two Benin Bronzes is a relatively minor step with potentially major implications.
Where is the Benin ivory mask?
Two almost identical masks are kept at the British Museum in London and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City….
| Benin ivory mask | |
|---|---|
| Created | Early 17th century |
| Present location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, British Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Linden Museum, private collection |
What does the Benin ivory mask represent?
This type of mask was worn by the Oba, on the hip, during important ceremonies. The mask is said to represent Idia, mother of Oba Esigie who ruled in the sixteenth century. The top of the hip mask is decorated with heads representing the Portuguese, symbolizing Benin’s alliance with and control over Europeans.
Who stole the Benin Bronzes?
British troops
British troops looted thousands of artworks known as the Benin Bronzes from the Kingdom of Benin, in present-day Nigeria, in 1897. Following auctions, some of the bronzes ended up in museums and private collections across Europe.
Will Britain return the Benin Bronzes?
On 27 October 2021, Cambridge University will be the first UK institution to officially repatriate one of the looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. The bronzes date back as far as the thirteenth century. They were made by Edo craftsmen that worked for the king known as Oba.
What modern day country would Benin be in right now?
It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east….Benin.
| Republic of Benin République du Bénin (French) | |
|---|---|
| Location of Benin (dark green) | |
| Capital | Porto-Novoa |
| Largest city | Cotonou |
| Official languages | French |
Who or what does the Mudfish symbolize in Benin iconography?
The symbolism of the Mudfish in the Benin Culture covers prosperity, peace, fertility, and strength. The display of the Oba’s power over land and water because of his connection to Olokun, the god of water, symbolises the king’s semi-divine power between the spiritual world and the kingdom of Benin.
Who is the current king of Benin?
Ewuare II
He is the 40th Oba, a title created for the Head of State (Emperor) of the Benin Empire at some time between 1180 and 1300….
| Ewuare II | |
|---|---|
| Reign | 2016–present |
| Predecessor | Erediauwa |
| Born | 20 October 1953 |
| Spouses | 5 |
Who wore the Iyoba ivory pendant?
The pendant mask is believed to have been produced in the early sixteenth century for the King or ObaEsigie, the king of Benin, to honor his mother, Idia. The oba may have worn it at rites commemorating his mother, although today such pendants are worn at annual ceremonies of spiritual renewal and purification.
Will British Museum return Benin Bronzes?
‘Pressure on the British Museum’ Germany has agreed to start returning Benin Bronzes held in its museums next year, while France has said it will hand over 26 artefacts that were stolen from the kingdom of Abomey in 1892.
What did Britain loot from Benin?
The cockerel, donated to the university in 1905 by the father of a student, is a Benin Bronze, looted during the 1897 British invasion of Benin city, in modern Nigeria, during which British forces burnt down the royal palace among other buildings and stole priceless artifacts.
What is the significance of the Benin ivory mask?
The Benin ivory mask is a miniature sculptural portrait in ivory of Idia, the first Iyoba (Queen Mother) of the 16th century Benin Empire, taking the form of a traditional African mask. The masks were looted by the British from the palace of the Oba of Benin in the Benin Expedition of 1897.
What happened to the British Museum’s Benin collections?
On its website, the British Museum has written that “no formal request has been received for the return of the Museum’s Benin collections in their entirety,” and that the museum is engaged in “longstanding dialogues” with the current Oba, Ewuare II, who visited the museum in 2018 and met with director Hartwig Fischer.
Are the Benin bronzes coming back to Nigeria?
Nigerians have been eagerly awaiting the return of the Benin Bronzes, and with the expectation some will head back in the years to come, a museum is being built to house them in Benin City. That institution, the Edo Museum of West African Art, is being designed by architect David Adjaye and is currently set to open in 2025.
How many objects were stolen from the Kingdom of Benin?
(Their exact number is unknown, though it is believed to exceed 3,000.) These objects—including figurines, tusks, sculptures of Benin’s rulers, and an ivory mask—were looted by British troops, and have since been dispersed around the world, with the bulk of the works now residing with state museums in Europe.