Benin

The colonial invasion of the Kingdom of Benin by British troops in February 1897 marked the end of one of the most powerful empires in West African history. One of the consequences was the scattering of thousands of bronze, ivory and wooden works of art looted from the royal palace and the city.

In light of the restitution of the major German Benin collections, the MARKK's Benin holdings are on display in their entirety. In addition to information on the British colonial war and the current restitution debate, the catalogue provides various perspectives on the original significance of the works, their outstanding artistic quality, and their place in African art and cultural history. The book places special emphasis on the provenance of the Hamburg collection and its history of entanglement with colonial trade networks, revealing the central role of the port city in the history of Benin collections in Germany.