Benin Bronzes made of German brass
Many of the famous Benin Bronzes pillaged by British colonial officers in 1897 are made of brass manillas from the German Rhineland, new research shows. For years, researchers have puzzled over the origins of metals used for the famous brass sculptures and plaques pillaged during Britain’s 1897 colonial capture of the Kingdom of Benin (present-day Nigeria). The vast majority of the Benin Bronzes were pillaged during that initial raid, before the UK took over the brass trade in West Africa. There are over 3,000 Benin Bronzes in total, but most are displayed in European and North American institutions — like the Ethnological Museum of Berlin and the British Museum in London . Only a few are currently held in museums in Nigeria. Benin bronze metal source a mystery Researchers have long suspected that the brass used to create the impressive sculptures was transported to Benin via Portuguese trade routes in the 15th century, but they haven’t been able to pinpoint where the met...