Many of the rituals and ceremonies associated with the historic Kingdom of Benin continue to be performed today.īy the end of the 19th century, the Nigerian coast and its trade were largely dominated by the British. The modern city of Benin (in Edo State) is the home of the current ruler of the Kingdom of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II. Benin City became part of the British Empire from 1897 to 1960 and is now located within the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Benin Bronzes come from Benin City, the historic capital of the Kingdom of Benin, a major city state in West Africa from the medieval period. The British Museum's collections additionally include a range of archival documentation and photographic collections relating to the objects from the Kingdom of Benin and their collection histories. Objects from Benin are also lent regularly around the world. Over 100 can be seen in a permanent changing display within the Museum's galleries. There are over 900 objects from the historic Kingdom of Benin in the British Museum's collection. These early connections included Portuguese and Benin emissaries voyaging between the capitals and courts of Benin and Portugal as these two powers negotiated their new relationship. Trade and diplomatic contacts between Benin and Portugal developed on the West African coast from the 15th century. One element of the history of the Kingdom of Benin represented on the brass plaques and sculptures is the kingdom's early contacts with Europeans. The Benin Bronzes are preceded by earlier West African cast brass traditions, dating back into the medieval period. This includes dynastic history, as well as social history, and insights into its relationships with neighbouring kingdoms, states and societies. Among the most well-known of the Benin Bronzes are the cast brass plaques which once decorated the Benin royal palace and which provide an important historical record of the Kingdom of Benin. They were also used in other rituals to honour the ancestors and to validate the accession of a new Oba. Many pieces were commissioned specifically for the ancestral altars of past Obas and Queen Mothers. The Kingdom also supported guilds working in other materials such as ivory, leather, coral and wood, and the term 'Benin Bronzes' is sometimes used to refer to historic objects produced using these other materials. They were created from at least the 16th century onwards in the West African Kingdom of Benin, by specialist guilds working for the royal court of the Oba (king) in Benin City. 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.
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