What can we learn from the art of Benin?

What was art in Benin like?

The people of Benin made many different kinds of art. Village craft workers made simple pots, weapons and tools.
They carved masks for ceremonies and they moulded sculptures of gods out of mud.

In Benin City, craft workers were organised into groups known as guilds. There were guilds for wood carvers, ivory carvers, leather workers, weavers and blacksmiths. The brass casters’ guild was only allowed to work for the Oba (king).

The art of Benin features people, animals and gods. It tells us what life and religion were like in the kingdom. Some animals, such as crocodiles and leopards, appear many times in the art of Benin. They are used as symbols to show the power of their king, the Oba.

Craftworkers used:

Weavers used fibres from plants to make colourful cloth.

The most precious materials were:

People believed they had special powers. Find out more about them below.

Material	Power or symbol	How was it used
Brass	Had power to drive away evil	Could only be used in the royal court. The palace walls were covered with plaques made from brass and it was used to make figures and heads for the royal altars.
Coral	Seen as a gift from Olokun, god of the sea	Chiefs were allowed to wear coral necklaces, bracelets and anklets, but only the Oba could dress completely in coral.
Ivory	Symbol of purity and strength	Carved ivory tusks stood by the Oba’s throne and ivory bracelets and pendants were worn by the Oba and important chiefs.

Metal workers in Benin made beautiful plaques, masks and statues for the Oba.
These are often called 'Benin Bronzes', however most are actually made of brass rather than bronze.

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Find out how bronze statues were made

The craft workers of Benin often showed Europeans in their art.
Most of these figures have long, narrow faces and straight, shoulder-length hair.
Sometimes they have a beard and sometimes they wear armour and hold a gun.

Even though the Europeans must have seemed very strange, they were welcomed by the people of Benin.
The Obas had a good relationship with merchants from Europe until the 1800s but then the Europeans changed their attitude. Instead of simply trading with African kingdoms, they wanted to take their land.
In the late 1800s, European countries competed with each other for African land. They seized control of the African kingdoms and built their own empires.

There has been a growing call from people of Nigeria for artefacts held in museums around the world to be returned to the country of origin.
The Benin bronzes were taken when the city was looted (forcefully taken), invaded by the British and made part of the British Empire in 1897.
In 2021, Germany agreed to return the artefacts it holds that were taken from Benin. In the same year, the University of Aberdeen returned a bronze back to its country of origin.

At the moment, many museums still hold hundreds of pieces of Benin art.
These artefacts are important to the people of modern-day Africa and many people are campaigning for the art to be returned to its home country.

Click below to find out about common animals in Benin art.