- Type:
- Book Chapter
- Author:
- Peter J. Holliday
- Published:
- 2024
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Abstract Chapter 8 examines the so-called Benin bronzes that commemorated the wars of the Edo kings of Benin during their period of imperial expansion. Although they provide evidence for African and European cultural exchanges, they also indicate indigenous African metallurgical practices. Rather than chronicling a rigid, linear construct of history, the plaques’ narrative strategy embraces polysemy that invites multiple readings, both individually and in groups based on their original installation in the Royal Palace at Benin City, a site of intricate political and cosmological significance. The removal of the plaques from Benin in the nineteenth century therefore illustrates how separation from their original context can obliterate a work’s meaning.
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The history this book covers
Civilizations: Benin Empire
Sıkça sorulan sorular
- What is "The Benin Plaques" about?
- Abstract Chapter 8 examines the so-called Benin bronzes that commemorated the wars of the Edo kings of Benin during their period of imperial expansion.
- Who wrote "The Benin Plaques"?
- Peter J. Holliday