Stolen in 9 Days: The Brutal Truth Behind the Benin Bronzes

In February 1897, British forces invaded the Kingdom of Benin, burned the royal palace and carried thousands of priceless treasures to London. This is the story of the Benin Bronzes: who made them, how they were taken, and the fight to bring them home. Chapters: 00:00 The fall of Benin City 00:19 What are the Benin Bronzes? 00:42 The Kingdom of Benin 01:00 The royal brass casters 01:43 Made from European money 02:07 The road to war 03:16 The punitive expedition 03:44 The looting and the auction 04:44 The fight to bring them home Sources: Dan Hicks, The Brutish Museums (2020) Philip Igbafe, The Fall of Benin: A Reassessment (1970) Wikipedia: Benin Expedition of 1897 Wikipedia: Benin Bronzes Image credits (Wikimedia Commons): Palace compound after the fire, Benin City, 1897: R. K. Granville, public domain Benin City, 1686: Olfert Dapper, public domain Benin City drawing, 1897: H. Ling Roth, public domain Expedition track chart and photo album, 1897: Lt W. J. Frazer, RNR, public domain Admiral Sir Harry Rawson; Oba Ovonramwen portraits: public domain Brass manillas: Rosser1954, public domain Head of an Oba: Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0 Benin plaques, British Museum: Joyofmuseums, CC BY-SA 4.0; Mike Peel, CC BY-SA 4.0 Benin plaques, MFA Boston: ArnoldReinhold, CC BY 4.0 Benin plaque, Ethnological Museum Berlin: Daderot, CC0 Head of an Oba, British Museum: Vassil, CC0 Brass leopard, MAA Cambridge: Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0 #BeninBronzes #AfricanHistory #Nigeria