Benin Bronze Casting Tradition

Timeline

1. 1200–1300Royal palace, Benin City · NigeriaAfter the Kingdom of Benin was founded, the Oba's court established dedicated casting workshops producing ritual bronzes by the lost-wax method; the craft was influenced by Ife culture and developed a distinctive court artistic style.
2. 1321–1330Benin City · NigeriaIn the 1320s the Benin court continued expanding the royal palace and increasing bronze decoration and ritual vessel casting; the workshop system became increasingly specialized, laying technical and organizational foundations for later large-scale production of bronze relief plaques.
3. 1500–1600Royal palace, Benin City · NigeriaDuring the reign of Oba Ewuare in the 16th century, large numbers of bronze relief plaques were cast to decorate the palace colonnades, recording court ceremonies and historical events, forming the most representative creative peak of Benin bronze art.
4. 1897Benin City · NigeriaIn 1897 a British expedition captured Benin City and burned the royal palace; thousands of bronze works were looted and shipped to Europe, local casting activity was interrupted for a time, and the tradition faced severe challenges.