Benin: Bringing Back The Bronzes

The British may have looted the Benin Bronzes from the West African Kingdom in the 19th century, but they couldn’t remove the art form.

Artisans still use the country’s red soil to create bronze sculptures, just as their ancestors did decades before.

However, it’s a dying trade. The cost of raw materials is soaring and local craftsmen are struggling to make ends meet.

In this short film, we visit a workshop where beautiful Benin bronzes are still moulded, for now at least.

It’s a stark reminder the stolen treasures which once decorated Benin’s royal palace have to be returned.

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