Episode 31: The Benin Bronzes, Part I

Listen to the episode HERE on Soundcloud or visit the podcast on iTunes, either through the Podcasts App (just search for “Stuff about Things Art History”) or by clicking HERE. Happy listening!

Sources:

Hicks, Dan. The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution. London: Pluto Press, 2021.
Phillips, Barnaby. Loot: Britain and the Benin Bronzes. London: Oneworld Publications, 2021.
Wysocki Gunsch, Katheryn. The Benin Plaques: A 16th-Century Imperial Monument. London: Routledge, 2020.
Article by Alex Greenberger for ArtNews – “The Benin Bronzes, Explained: Why a Group of Plundered Artworks Continues to Generate Controversy“
Article by Mayeni Jones for BBC – “Benin Bronzes: ‘My Great-Grandfather Sculpted the Looted Treasures’“
Article by Alex Marshall for the New York Times (behind paywall) – “This Art Was Looted 123 Years Ago. Will It Ever Be Returned?”
Victoria & Albert Museum – “Tony Phillips on the History of the Benin Bronzes“
Google Arts & Culture – “11 Facts You Need to Know about the Benin Bronzes“
The British Museum Official Website – Benin Bronzes

Lost Wax Casting [credit: Lindsay Sheedy] – open in new tab to see larger

Map of West Africa showing the Kingdom of Benin [image credit: Art Institute of Chicago]

1686 engraving of Benin City that appeared in Olfert Dapper’s *Description de l’Afrique*… [image credit: Slavery Images]

Benin City as drawn by a British soldier in 1897 [image credit: Wikipedia]

Display of Benin Bronze plaques at the British Museum [image credit: The British Museum]

Benin Bronze plaque showing the Oba’s palace in the background, complete with bronze plaques [image credit: The Guardian]

Benin Bronze plaque showing Portuguese soldier surrounded by manillas (currency) [image credit: Wikipedia]

Altar Tableau: Queen Mother and Attendants, Brass, Edo peoples — Benin Bronze “tableaux” of attendants flanking the Queen Mother [image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art]

Benin Bronze of Portuguese soldier [image credit: The British Museum]

Cockerel bronze [image credit: Jesus College Cambridge via CNN]

Leopard bronze [image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art]

Ivory mask of Queen Idia [image credit: The British Museum]

The Benin Bronzes, Part II will be up the week of Feb. 1st!

Happy listening,

Lindsay

2 thoughts on “Episode 31: The Benin Bronzes, Part I”

Dot Dickinson January 20, 2022 — 2:43 am

Can’t wait to listen. Are you a PhD now?

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1. Lindsay Sheedy January 20, 2022 — 2:59 am
  
  Hey, Dot! Yes, I am! I think the next topic after the Benin Bronzes (Pt.II) will be the WPA murals, as recommended by you! -Dr. L. 🙂
  
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