Episode 31: The Benin Bronzes, Part I

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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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