What is the history of Benin art?

Benin art is the art from the Kingdom of Benin or Edo Empire (1440–1897), a pre-colonial African state located in what is now known as the Southern region of Nigeria. This original significance is of great importance in Benin.

Where was the Benin art discovered?

Benin art became well known to the West in 1897, after the British Punitive Expedition sacked the city of Benin and brought thousands of objects back to Europe as war booty.

When was Benin museum built?

1973
National Museum Benin City/Opened

Who created Benin art?

#2: Discovering Benin Art The Benin bronze casters started creating bronze figures before the 13th century. The bronze works are known collectively as Benin art and an extraordinary example of African art.

What is Benin art called?

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 examples of Benin art, and were created from the thirteenth century onwards by artists of the Edo people.

What is the history of Benin Kingdom?

The historical kingdom of Benin was established in the forested region of West Africa in the 1200s C.E. According to history, the Edo people of southern Nigeria founded Benin. They no longer wanted to be ruled by their kings, known as the ogisos. The first oba, or king, in Benin was Eweka.

What museums have Benin bronzes?

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.

Which museums have Benin bronzes?

Weltmuseum, Vienna.

Why is Benin art called court?

THE early Benin art was referred to as “Court Art” hence ”Court Art of Benin” This is because the Oba or King of Benin had a monopoly of the art works, though technically speaking, they are all brass. The Benin bronze works also bear representations of the Portuguese sailors because they were patronizing the Benin Art.

What is the name of the most famous piece of Benin art?

While the collection is known as the Benin Bronzes, like most West African “bronzes” the pieces are mostly made of brass of variable composition….

What can we learn from the artwork made in Benin?

Metal workers in Benin made beautiful plaques, masks and statues for the Oba. These are often called ‘Benin Bronzes’, however most are actually made of brass rather than bronze. Artwork from Benin reveals a lot about the kingdom’s people and their beliefs.

The provenance (ownership history), of Benin artworks in Europe and America usually includes a moment in 1897 when Benin City was invaded by British soldiers and a part of the royal treasury was claimed by the British state as spoils of war.

What happened to the Benin plaques?

In 1950 and 1951 the Museum sold, exchanged or donated some of the Benin plaques to the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria (25 in number) and the government of the Gold Coast (1). These were subsequently placed within newly established West African museums.

How many Benin Bronzes are there in the British Museum?

Over 100 can be seen in a permanent changing display within the Museum’s galleries. Objects from Benin are also lent regularly around the world. The British Museum’s collections additionally include a range of archival documentation and photographic collections relating to the Benin Bronzes and their collection history.

Is this the oldest known photo of a Benin altar?

Kings compound Benin City May 1891.” This cabinet card is considered the earliest known photograph of a Benin altar and the only one known to exist prior to the British invasion of Benin in 1897. It shows the configuration of carved ivory tusks, commemorative heads, bells, a king figure with an eben (sword), and smaller bronze figures.