The Benin Bronzes
The ‘Benin Bronzes’ are plaques, commemorative heads, figures and regalia made from at least the 1500s by a specialist guild working for the Oba (king) of Benin in Benin City. Benin City, the capital of the historic Kingdom of Benin, is today in Edo State, Nigeria; it is not in the present-day Republic of Benin. Many pieces were looted during the British expedition to Benin City in 1897. Their ownership and return are contested; the British Museum alone holds over 900 objects from the kingdom.