The pith helmeted colonialist in me wonders if these would have survived local looting or destruction but then the 3D metal printer/machinist/designer in me says, fuck it lets make more and sell them in the gift shop. cnn.com/style/article/…
The 1897 Benin Punitive Expedition was actually carried out by the British and often is interpreted through the art looted for the British Museum. But the raid ended the cruel regime of the Oba and is worth a read: beninexpedition120yearson.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/0/…
I would argue that post 1870, the influx of looted/purchased African art changed the world by inspiring cubism, fauvism, modernism, expressionism and more. Everything from Art to Jazz to Philosophy have some linkage to the art that filled European museums.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/aima/h…
The art brought back from the Punitive Expedition was partly to pay for the cost of the expedition (there's a thought next time we invade a country) but the exposure created a bronze casting industry in Benin that exists to this day.
Was the transfer from local ownership to museums a dramatic increase in the cultural value of the art? Was the Intellectual property of Benin harmed or enhanced by globalization of their artistic talents? And was the art part of reparations to England? beninexpedition120yearson.weebly.com/about.html
Attempts to retrieve the art tells us that that a) all of the art was in the house of the king away from the people and b) he had no idea what or how much was there, c) the Oba murdered 250 Brits (which triggered the expedition) but wants compensation. publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cm…
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