Benin Bronzes, Venezuela, & Imperialism
Well, since Nigeria breached, hopefully briefly, the tidal line of the American information tsunami, maybe there’s a small opportunity for an ignorant people to learn a little about a part of the world they helped shape over the last half-century. Coincidentally and conveniently, the FT has a piece about the opening in Benin, Edo state, of the Museum of West African Art.
Benin was the capital of one of Nigeria's great pre-European states, the Kingdom of Benin. The Kingdom lasted for almost a thousand years, meeting its demise under British guns and steam engines at the end of the 19th century. In the 17th century, a Portuguese ship captain, we always forget how essential Portugal was in creating the present European global order, reported,
“Great Benin, where the king resides, is larger than Lisbon; all the streets run straight and as far as the eye can see. The houses are large, especially that of the king, which is richly decorated and has fine columns. The city is wealthy and industrious. It is so well governed that theft is unknown and the people live in such security that they have no doors to their houses.”
If known at all today to the residents of the global North, Benin is known for the Benin Bronzes. These are wonderful metal plaques and statutes dating back to the 14th century. They largely covered the Oba’s (king) palace, representing peoples and historical events.
Of course, the place with many Benin Bronzes isn’t the new museum in Benin, but the British Museum. Funny, I was in the Met over the summer and came to the realization, or at least reminded of, how we do indeed equal the old sun never sets bloody Brits in our pillaging of cultural treasures from across the globe. Little pride should be taken in this, especially if one understands what a brutal, savage thing the British empire was. I use to say to the Nigerians, who for some reason still hold in far too high regard most things the Brits say, “As a nation, the best thing we ever did was kick them out 250 years ago.”
The article states some Benin artifacts have been repatriated from the US, Germany, and the Netherlands. It doesn’t mention the British Museum, whose position on their Bronzes is pretty much the same they have on those Greek marbles, “They’re ours. We looted them fair and square.” Don’t get me wrong, I love a good museum and the British Museum, like the NY Met is an amazing museum. Just like people, I’m willing to overlook institutional faults to appreciate the whole, but there’s definitely legitimate concerns, but they’re concerns much deeper than how any given collection of artifacts come together.
Which gets to the question of colonialism, which, just like slavery, is no trait exclusive to Europe and Europeans. As long as we, Homo sapiens, claimed possession and rule over specific tracts of land, both have been a scourge of our species. For example, an interesting fact of Benin, the king is titled “Oba.” Now, Oba is a Yoruba title. I’m stepping face-first into a Nigerian controversy here, well, it’s the only way.
The Yoruba are a people residing west of Benin. The Yoruba had their own great pre-European state, the capital was Ile-Ife. I didn’t get to Benin, but I was able to visit Ile-Ife and have a wonderful New Year’s goat roast. The Ile-Ife Empire had bronzes too. At some point in the 13th century or so, Yoruba came to power in Benin and the Oba title was established. I’ll leave it there, let’s just say Africans had/have their own imperial leanings too.
Which all leads to the most recent ridiculousness of the world’s present largest empire, these United States. Last week, in a classic example of blowback, an Afghani, who previously worked for the 20 year US occupation of Afghanistan, shot two national guards on the streets of DC. You might first ask, why were the national guard on the streets of DC? Certainly, one could see an immigrant Afghani having serious reaction to such military clad figures. However, our Homeland Security Secretary, and folks, Homeland Security was always the stupidest idea of an infinite number of stupid ideas in the last quarter century, claimed the accused was “radicalized” here in these United States.
First reports claimed the gunman had a “history of mental illness.” Always, always, shooting Americans is a mental illness, while our Secretary of Defense, blowing up boats off the coast of Venezuela and ordering to assure all occupants are dead, well, let’s just say that’s an ancient imperial tradition.