The colonial occupation of the Kingdom of Benin by British troops in February 1897 marked the end of one of the most powerful West African kingdoms and led to the worldwide dispersal of thousands of objects stolen from the royal palace. Today, the bronze, ivory and wooden artworks are the focus of public debates on the restitution of colonial heritage.
In view of their planned restitution, the MARKK’s Benin collection is now being shown in its entirety in an exhibition. In addition to information on the British colonial war and the current restitution debate, the exhibition conveys various perspectives on the original significance of the objects, their outstanding artistic quality and their status in African art and cultural history. Special attention is paid to the provenance of the collection and its intertwined history with the Hamburg trade networks.