Date of document publication: 2020-12-15

We are looking primarily for objects created for or used within the Benin kingdom up until 1897, including plaques, commemorative heads, carved ivory tusks, figures, shrine objects like bells, pendants, staffs, etc. As this is not always a clearly defined corpus, we are also considering any objects related to Benin that were created and/or circulated from the African continent to Europe or America before the 1930s

Indeed, we would like to consider for inclusion any artworks or objects that tell relevant stories, that add crucial or insightful information to the above core object set, or that reveal a broader picture, such as artworks and information that represent the colonial period of present-day Nigeria, the Raid on the Benin kingdom, and its aftermath:

• Associated archival and/or historic materials such as photographs, postcards, newspapers, field notes, etc., particularly within the same aforementioned time period
• Bini-Portuguese ivories/objects (though some were made by Owo carvers), as related arts, for example
• Related “Udo” style artworks and non-urban art forms, such as masquerade, that may give us a broader picture of the time period, migrations, and performances within the city