The Benin Bronzes are a group of several thousand metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Edo State, Nigeria. The plaques depict the history of the kingdom. Most of the plaques and other objects were taken by British forces during the Benin Expedition of 1897. Following the expedition, artifacts were transported to many museums in Europe, with a large display being held at the British Museum. Since gaining independence in 1960, Nigeria has sought the return of the bronzes on several occasions, with some being audaciously SOLD back to them. I hope to see more agreements worked out in the future that do not include people having to buy back their stolen art.

This book is currently available to listen to on Audible plus. It can be completed in one working day, as that is how long it took me to complete it. The physical copy is around 400 pages for those of you who would prefer a book to hold in your hand. I thought this book was really interesting. It is pretty common knowledge that Britian was very imperialistic and took things that did not belong to them. It is nice to see some objects being repatriated to their respective countries or other loan agreements being reached. It is sad to think about the loss of people's culture and history over the centuries, despite some people being able to view them in a museum setting. I enjoyed learning more about these bronzes and the people that created them.