The London History Show: The Benin Plaques

Hello all. We are learning about the British Museum at the moment, and that includes a lot of world cultures that were unfamiliar to me, such as that of the Kingdom of Benin. As such, I'm sure there are a lot of good sources out there that are inaccessible to me or that I did not find here in my London lockdown. I've given my sources below, but if you have others that give a different perspective, please let me know.

On a related note, there are several words in this one that I've only ever seen written down, so if you know better than me on the pronounciations, let me know in the comments. I'm already pretty sure I got Erediauwa wrong.

In this video, we look at stolen African artworks in the British Museum commonly called the "Benin Bronzes".

Sources and further reading:

00:00 Intro
03:02 The Kingdom of Benin
04:59 The Art
13:02 The British Expedition
14:56 What Next?

[DeliveryMcGee]

Old joke: "Why aren't the Pyramids of Giza in the British Museum?" "The ceilings aren't high enough."

[igodohealth]

As an Edo or Bini (how people from Benin Kingdom are known), please know, our artworks, including the Benin Bronzes, are our historical & cultural documents.

They are more than artworks. They depict our history, belief system, politics and lifestyle.

[MsAnpassad]

Some good news on this subject. One week ago, the museums of world culture in Sweden, filed a petition to the government to be allowed to return their 39 Benin bronzes, which will probably be permitted, as we have returned objects before.

[aframaco]

As a Nigerian, my heart flutters at the sight of the Benin bronzes.


It is so familiar to me ! So much a part of my heritage!!

[osarobomike]

Thank you for promotion benin culture to the world God bless you madam we the people of edo greet you very much thank you god bless

[lindareed]

That music at the end... It's so It's the sound of a rising sun.

[DavidWilliams-DSW]

Germany has now returned a number of Benin bronzes and I believe more are due to follow.

[anneshirley]

I love the respect shown to other cultures in this story. It is long past time that history channels also explore non-western history. Great job!!!

[turtlellama]

Scan them and remake them. Give the originals back. Their value to the British is entirely aesthetic, and therefore, it doesn't matter if they're real.
The people of Benin may have to recast some to repair all the damage the British did.

[doubleT]

Some Benin sculptures were in Germany. Germany gave them back to Nigeria and financed a local museum with several million Euros.
On March 23rd president Buhari signed a decree transfering the ownership from the state to Oba Ewuare II. The planned museum will not be completed. The bronzes will probably never again be seen in public.

[luckyinetianbor]

Wow...Am stunned at your knowledge of the Benin culture and traditions. Great work

[siralexandersequeirardcou]

You know, here in Portugal we know about the portuguese in the kindgom of Benin, Portugal had Benin nobility studying in the Coimbra university, Benin nobles would stroll around Lisbon and the royal palace.

[peterobazuaye]

EXCELLENT ANALYSIS THIS YOUNG WOMAN HAVE A GOOD INSIGHT OF THE BENIN KINGDOM, EVEN HER PRONUNCIATION OF BININ NAMES IS QUITE OK.

[Bombsuprise]

I was at the British Museum in June for the second time in my life (it's a long way from Seattle), and in the 20+ years separating my two visits I had learned a lot about the Benin Plaques. When I walked around the corner this time and saw them it was a really emotional experience. My wife, who hadn't seem them before was struck by their beauty, as was I, but that was tempered by the flood of guilt that they represent. To their credit, the museum has signage that very clearly states the complicated history of all the items in that room, but yikes. In my opinion it would be far more fair to return ill-gotten treasures, but also far more exciting to go to Nigeria to see the treasures (if permitted, of course). Britain has so much culture of their own, the museum would never suffer for subject matter.

[margaretbagnall]

All stolen artefacts should be given back to their country of origin no questions asked. If an African nation stole the crown jewels of England the backlash and consequences that the country would face would still be in affect till today.

[mikehorton]

Your research on so many wide ranging topics is purely amazing.

[alvanalvino]

Thank you very much for this narrative. Britain committed genocide when Bini fell, they burnt the city to the ground trapping it’s elite citizens in the walled city while they hanged the chiefs. Equivalent of British lords. They British government in that timeline were a bunch of bandits and uncivilised barbarians who go about destroying and plundering civilisations in a cowardly manner without any rule of engagement. They raped Bini women and killed her and children. We forgive but we want our ancestors back. Those artefacts are the very soul of our people. Our god kings and our history. It is not the Kingdom of Benin, it is known as the Benin Empire. It’s an empire that seeded civilisations across West Africa over a thousand years before the Portuguese came to Benin. It’s city walls are long and surrounded by moats making it the longest ever made any people in the history of mankind. Europeans only build moats around castles, Bini built one around and entire city! Such was its size and magnificent condition and level of wealth Britain needed to boost her economy. Every single Bini artefacts must and should be returned to the Oba of that present day Kingdom. That is what it was reduced to. This Kingdom descended from ancient Egypt around it’s golden age. Please do what is rights as human beings with souls and compassion and return them like Nazis and their descendants were made to return stolen European arts. Britain should stop acting like black Africans are not humans worthy of consideration. We would give you crude oil in exchange for our ancestors for they mean everything to us in the universe. They are our o my connections to the divine, Christianity is too infant to fill in that gaping holes in our souls. The destruction of Bini damaged us as a people and took our pride and self worth away. We were the children of the gods once. Today we don’t even know what we are as a people. It was our spiritual home. Like ancient Rome was to Italians.

[larrymcgill]

It’s amazing that these “trophies of British colonial conquest” are not viewed as more of an embarrassment. Indeed, regardless of country, to many museums tend to flaunt their spoils of conflict instead of returning the culture and history of a defeated and despoiled people. How far different is that from cultural genocide?

[dylanbockman]

Writing an essay of this very case and this was very helpful! Thank u love

[alvanalvino]

We don’t need any European training our people on how to conserve the art works that we have been looking after before Rome invaded Britain. Just give them back and we will do the rest then the whole world would be welcomed to Nigeria to see them in Bini. This was the best presentation I have ever seen on Bini artefacts. I can’t see them in museums because it would break my heart to see my ancestors in captivity. I can only watch videos. Thanks for making this video! Hopefully I can see a lot of them in Nigeria during my life time one day when Germany returns the ones in their collection. Britain would be the last nation to do so. Too much politics and egos and deals to be made in private.