The tragedy of the Benin bronzes being taken from the Benin Kingdom in 1897 is certain, but the untold story of the relics must be acknowledged too. The 16th to 19th century Benin bronzes are Blood Metal — made from melted metal bracelets called manillas, a currency paid to the Benin Kingdom in exchange for humans they sold into the transatlantic slave trade.
These bronzes must be shared with the heirs of the people enslaved and they must remain in the places we live due to this enslavement. They are our connection to our history, culture and homelands; they are the fruit of our ancestors’ labor; and they are Blood Metal.
Our short film, They Belong to All of Us, tells the untold story of the Benin bronzes. Screen it online at: www.rsgincorp.org, on Instagram at:
or Youtube.
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