The Benin Bronzes are a group of several thousand [a] metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Edo State, Nigeria.

Dec 9, 2025 · Benin Bronzes is a loose term used to describe thousands of artworks looted in 1897 by the British army during its violent invasion of Benin City, the capital of the historic …

Jul 2, 2025 · Museums worldwide are returning the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. Here's why it matters, who's receiving them, and what it means for restitution policies.

The violent sacking and pillaging of Benin City, (usually referred to as the Benin Expedition or the Punitive Expedition of 1897), had been framed in British newspaper articles of the time as a …

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 …

The Netherlands has returned 119 artifacts looted from Nigeria, including human and animal figures, plaques, royal regalia and a bell.

Nov 8, 2025 · The Benin Bronzes were crafted by specialized guilds under royal commission. Using the lost-wax casting technique, artisans produced intricate brass and bronze plaques, …

Apr 11, 2025 · The Benin Bronzes are unique artistic treasures that tell stories of glory and power. They are living testaments to a flourishing African civilization, a sophisticated social and …

Feb 19, 2025 · The Netherlands says it will return more than 100 Benin Bronzes that British troops looted from Nigeria in the late 19th Century and which ended up in a Dutch museum.

In his book The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution, published in 2020, he compiled a list of over 160 institutions that hold Benin Bronzes.