How much is a Benin bronze worth?
The 20th century brought better documentation alongside a swell of interest in “tribal art.” Auction prices for Benin Bronzes started around GBP 5,500 in the 1950s (around USD 209,000 today). Those figures climbed steadily through the 20th century. In 2007, Sotheby’s sold a Benin head sculpture for $4.7 million.
What are Benin Bronzes made of?
The ‘Benin Bronzes’ (made of brass and bronze) are a group of sculptures which include elaborately decorated cast plaques, commemorative heads, animal and human figures, items of royal regalia, and personal ornaments.
Where are the Benin Bronzes now?
The two largest collections of Benin Bronzes are located in the Ethnological Museum of Berlin and in the British Museum in London, while the third largest collection is located in several museums in Nigeria (principally the Nigerian National Museum in Lagos).
Who stole the Benin head?
British forces
The University of Aberdeen, Scotland has returned a Benin Bronze head, one of thousands of religious and cultural artefacts looted in ancient Benin kingdom by British forces in 1897.
What is Benin bronze head?
Bronze heads from Benin are beautiful sculptures that usually depict the Oba of Benin (ancient or new). The majority of bronze heads are artistic representations of an Oba’s face and head when dressed in full regalia.
What are the Benin Bronzes and why are they important?
The Benin Bronzes are from Benin City The 3,000-plus items that make up the Benin Bronzes include statues and plaques that decorated the palace of the Oba, the king of Benin, and are representations of kings and queen mothers of the Edo people (the people of Benin) and a historical record of the kingdom.
Were the Benin Bronzes returned?
The statues are part of 26 artworks subsequently returned to Benin. Benin welcomed back nearly 30 royal treasures looted from the West African state during France’s colonial rule more than 130 years ago, on November 10, 2021.
How many artifacts were stolen from Benin?
Experts estimate that at least 3,000 and as many as 10,000 pieces that were stolen by British forces have found their way into museums and private collections around the world. Not all the pieces are connected to the 1897 raid by the British on the Benin palace.
How can you tell if bronze is real?
One of the best ways to determine whether or not a bronze piece is genuine is by listening to the sound it creates when hit with a hard object. A genuine bronze usually creates a lovely ringing sound that lasts for a few seconds, while a fake one creates a dull, heavy sound that disappears fast.
How many Benin Bronzes were stolen?
Benin exhibits looted treasures returned by France The 26 pieces were stolen in 1892 by French colonial forces from the former Dahomey kingdom, in the south of modern-day Benin.
How did the Benin get bronze?
The Benin Bronzes are not actually made of bronze They’re made of brass, as well as carved ivory and carved wood. The brass casts were made using the lost-wax casting technique.
Why is Benin art so significant to history?
The art of Benin features people, animals and gods. It tells us what life and religion were like in the kingdom. Some animals, such as crocodiles and leopards, appear many times in the art of Benin. They are used as symbols to show the power of their king, the Oba.
How many Benin bronzes were stolen?
Should Benin Bronzes be repatriated?
The new guidelines, which apply to all of the Smithsonian’s constituent institutions, take into account the objects’ communities of origin and the means of acquisition. The Benin bronzes will be the first artworks to be repatriated under the new policy, a Smithsonian spokesperson told Hyperallergic.
What is voodoo in Benin?
In Benin, worshippers of Voodoo, a religion that worships gods and natural spirits, have gathered to pay their respects to the deities. The meeting takes place on the beach in Ouidah, a former slave trading hub, by the Atlantic Ocean. Mami Wata is the most revered deity.
Are the Benin Bronzes being returned?
Earlier this year, The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC agreed to return most of its Benin bronze collection to Nigeria as part of a major restitution agreement.
What are the Benin Bronzes?
The Benin Bronzes is the name given to a group of artifacts produced by the Benin Empire, which occupied the area which is today Nigeria. The Benin Bronzes consist of several thousand commemorative plaques and sculptures that are made of brass of variable composition (despite being called ‘bronzes’).
Are the Benin Bronzes an’historical incident of reception’?
British archaeologist and anthropologist Dan Hicks discussed the looting of the Benin Bronzes and their current presence within museums around the world. In his book he expressed the view that the looting of the Benin Bronzes are not an ‘historical incident of reception’ but an ‘enduring brutality’.
Who made the first bronzes in Africa?
The Kingdom of Benin was a hub of African civilization long before Portuguese traders visited, and it is clear that the bronzes were made in Benin by an indigenous culture.
How much did a Benin head cost in 1968?
A newspaper publication revealed that in 1953, Sotheby’s sold a Benin Bronze head for £5,500 when the previous record sale was £780. In 1968, Christies sold for £21,000 a Benin Head that was discovered by an officer around his neighbour’s greenhouse.