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The Benin Bronzes, thousands of brass plaques and sculptures made for the royal court of Benin in today's Nigeria, were looted by British troops in 1897 and scattered among Western museums.

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Most pieces were cast in brass rather than bronze by guilds of Edo craftsmen working for the Oba, the king. The oldest date from the 14th century, and many plaques once covered the wooden pillars of the palace, showing court life and history. In January 1897 a British party led by acting consul James Phillips set out for Benin City against the Oba's wishes and was ambushed; most of its members were killed. Weeks later a British force took the city, burned much of it, sent Oba Ovonramwen into exile and carried off thousands of objects, some of which were sold to pay for the expedition. Nigeria has asked for their return for decades. In 2022 Germany agreed to return 1,130 pieces, and several British museums and universities have handed objects back.

Türkçe oku
Benin Bronzları, bugünkü Nijerya'daki Benin Krallığı'nın sarayı için yapılmış binlerce pirinç levha ve heykeldir. İngiliz askerleri 1897'de bunları yağmaladı; eserler Batı'daki müzelere dağıldı.

Parçaların çoğu bronzdan değil pirinçten dökülmüştür; bunları, Oba denen kral için çalışan Edo zanaatkâr loncaları yaptı. En eskileri 14. yüzyıldan kalmadır. Levhaların birçoğu bir zamanlar sarayın ahşap sütunlarını kaplıyor, saray yaşamını ve krallığın tarihini anlatıyordu. Ocak 1897'de, konsolos vekili James Phillips'in önderliğindeki bir İngiliz heyeti Oba'nın isteğine karşın Benin kentine doğru yola çıktı ve pusuya düşürüldü; heyettekilerin çoğu öldürüldü. Birkaç hafta sonra bir İngiliz birliği kenti ele geçirdi, büyük bölümünü yaktı, Oba Ovonramwen'i sürgüne gönderdi ve binlerce eseri götürdü; bunların bir kısmı seferin masraflarını karşılamak için satıldı. Nijerya onlarca yıldır eserlerin geri verilmesini istiyor. Almanya 2022'de 1.130 parçayı iade etmeyi kabul etti; İngiltere'de de bazı müzeler ve üniversiteler ellerindeki eserleri geri verdi.

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Background reading: Benin Bronzes
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