Histfest - Blood and Bronze: The Kingdom of Benin
Channel: British Library
Date: 2022-05-13

We look back at the history of the Benin Bronzes, the world in which they were first created and the era in which they were stolen. 


Historian Luke Pepera details the Kingdom of Benin (now modern Nigeria) during the medieval and early modern period, a place flourishing with trade and where thousands of beautiful bronze sculptures adorned the Palace of Benin. We also hear from Paddy Docherty who draws on research from his new book Blood and Bronze to tell the harrowing story of the 1897 sacking of Benin by the British and the eventual looting of the Bronzes.