Reference no: EM133281622
Benin Bronzes
In 1897, the British government took hundreds of bronze plaques from the royal palace of the African kingdom of Benin in what is called the "Punitive Expedition of 1897." The removal was punishment inflicted on the Edo people of Benin for what British colonial authorities believed to be an ambush of a British official. The bronze plaques and other treasures were put in British museums, auctioned off, and distributed around the world.
Today, there is a movement to return the looted art to Benin. Some governments, collectors, and museums in Europe and the Americas do not want to return them. Others have already decided to return them to Nigeria. This is a hot topic in the art world today.
Here is a list of resources. It includes a video from Smarthistory.org describing the plaques and explaining the history. The rest of the resources present different perspectives. (You may also search for more on the Internet):
Question 1. describe the materials, visual elements, and principles of design of one of the Benin bronzes
Question 2. select one of the jigsaw "pieces," making sure not to duplicate, and present one of the perspectives offered by those for and against the return (or repatriation). Then, explain what you would recommend happen to the Benin bronzes
Question 3. identify and explain a work of art discussed so far in the textbook chapters that has been involved in political conflict. This is the book image.
Question 4. Write political conflict of these artworks as well