The Bronze Kingdom — where the Benin Bronzes were made and the Oba's court still holds power
Benin City is the capital of Edo State and the seat of the ancient Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the country of Benin) — one of the most sophisticated pre-colonial kingdoms in sub-Saharan Africa. The Benin Bronzes, a collection of thousands of extraordinary brass plaques, sculptures, and ivory carvings created by Edo craftsmen from the 13th century onwards, were looted by a British Punitive Expedition in 1897 and are now held in museums worldwide. Ongoing campaigns for their repatriation have kept Benin City in international focus. The Oba (king) of Benin still rules from the same…
The Kingdom of Benin was founded by the Eweka dynasty around 900 CE on the Edo Plateau of what is now southern Nigeria. It reached its cultural and political zenith between the 13th and 17th centuries — the walls of Benin City (Sungbo's Eredo and the Benin City earthworks) were one of the world's largest man-made earthworks before their destruction. The Benin Bronzes were commissioned by successive Obas (kings) to document royal history in extraordinary detail — they represent one of the world's great artistic traditions. The British Punitive Expedition of 1897 burned the city and looted the…