A careful, child-friendly explanation of the events that led to the taking of many Benin artworks in 1897, the effects on the people of Benin, and how the world is working today to return and remember those pieces.
This is the story of a city that once kept very old and beautiful objects and of a moment in history when many of those objects left their home and traveled far away. The objects include carved masks, brass plaques, and other works of art. For the people who made and used those objects, they are more than pretty things — they carry memory, names, and songs.
We tell this story so children can understand how history affects real people and why remembering and caring for heritage matters.
This account draws on historical research and recent reporting to be accurate and fair
The place we call "Benin" in this story is the Benin Kingdom — a powerful and organized kingdom in what is today southern Nigeria, often centered around Benin City. For many centuries, talented artists and craftsmen worked in the royal courts to make special objects for the king (called the Oba) and for important ceremonies. These objects included carved ivory masks, brass plaques that told stories in pictures, carved wooden items, and more.
The people of Benin had skilled workshops and families of artists who passed techniques down for generations. Many objects were made for the Oba’s palace. Some pieces honored important people, recorded important events, or were used during ceremonies. For the Edo people (the community in this region), these objects were part of how families and the community remembered their history.
When we look at a brass plaque or an ivory pendant from Benin, we are looking at a page from a living book — one that uses pictures, symbols, and material form to hold memory. That is why these objects are meaningful beyond their beauty: they carry names, stories, and roles that matter to people and to the continuity of culture.
From the 15th century on, European traders visited the West African coast. By the 19th century, the British were especially interested in trade — which included palm oil, ivory, and other goods. European powers also began to set up formal relationships they called "protectorates" in parts of West Africa. These were often agreements written by European officials who wanted control over trade routes and borders.
At times, traders and explorers wanted to visit the Oba or to meet leaders in Benin City. The Oba and the palace had their own laws and calendars. Sometimes the palace welcomed visitors. Sometimes the Oba delayed meetings for reasons of ceremony, respect, or safety. The difference between peaceful visits and misunderstood intentions could be dangerous. Small mistakes or decisions taken without consultation sometimes grew into big problems.
One important point to understand: there were many different people involved (British government officials, traders, local chiefs, palace leaders), and their goals were not always the same. Some wanted trade and treaties, some wanted to protect communities, and some wanted to expand power. These differences created tensions in the late 19th century.
In late 1896 a British official named James Robert Phillips planned a trip to Benin City. He intended to go to the Oba and negotiate changes the British said were necessary for trade and for protecting people. Historians say Phillips did not wait for full permission from his superiors, and he led a large group that included British officers and African porters.
On 4 January 1897 that party was ambushed while traveling toward Benin City. Many of the group were killed. There were survivors, but the attack shocked the British authorities. The incident became the official reason the British gave for a military response that would follow. People call this ambush — and the British response that followed — the start of a very painful period for Benin City and its people.
It helps to imagine how fear and misunderstanding can make events quickly grow. The ambush was a local event with local actors, but it ended up being used by British officials to justify sending a large force into the area. This is how a local clash turned into a colonial military operation. If you are explaining this to children, one clear way is to say: a group came to talk, something went wrong, and the wrong choice was made afterward.
In February 1897 the British sent a large expeditionary force — many soldiers, sailors, and officers — to punish those they said were responsible. The force was led by Sir Harry Rawson and was often called the Benin punitive expedition. They traveled to Benin City with ships and guns and captured the city after fighting. The Oba (king) of Benin, Ovonramwen, was deposed and later exiled.
During and after this military action many treasures from the palace were taken. Reports from the time and later historians show that thousands of objects were removed from Benin City: metal plaques, ivory masks, and many other ceremonial objects that had been in the palace workshops and rooms for generations. The British took these items as trophies, and many were sent to museums, sold, or kept by individuals.
At the time, British officials sometimes described the expedition as a "punishment" meant to teach a lesson. But many historians and commentators now describe it as a colonial raid that used the ambush as a pretext to take control of territory and property. The removal of cultural objects had long-term consequences because those items were not only artistic pieces but carriers of memory and family history.
After the expedition, many objects were sent to Britain. Some went to national museums, like the British Museum; others were sold at auction or presented to private collectors and other museums across Europe and beyond. The Admiralty (the British naval authority) conducted auctions to cover the costs of the expedition. This is why plaques and bronzes from Benin can now be found in many places around the world.
Why does it matter that the objects were sent away? First, because removing objects from a place where they are part of people's lives separates the memory from the people who used it. Second, many objects were used in ceremonies or connected to family histories, so their absence affects how people remember ancestors and traditions. Third, the spread of the objects into many collections made it difficult for the community to gather them back together later.
Long after the raid, museums and collectors started to recognize the artistic importance of Benin works. In the 20th and 21st centuries, many museums displayed these objects and wrote about them in catalogs. Over time, people began asking whether objects taken in times of violence should be returned. Those questions have led to conversations and, in many cases, to actual returns of objects in recent years.
The effects were much bigger than objects moving from one shelf to another. The palace lost things that were used in ceremonies, that taught children the names of their ancestors, and that helped families remember who they were. The Oba (the king) was removed from power and sent away. Benin's governance and daily life changed as colonial authorities established new systems of rule — systems that often ignored local customs and leadership structures.
When objects that hold memory are removed, it can feel like a person's story is missing a page. Families may struggle to tell the same history to their children. Communities may lose the center they gather around for celebrations and remembrance. That is why many people in Benin and around the world have asked for conversation and for the respectful return of items that were taken without permission.
It is also important to say that people in Benin have kept many skills alive — there are still artists, carvers, and communities that remember the old songs and the techniques. The return of some objects in recent years has helped support local museums, teaching, and cultural revival work.
In the last several decades, people and institutions around the world have begun to ask hard questions: how did these objects end up in their collections? Were they taken fairly? What should be done now? These questions have led to research, conversations, and sometimes the return of objects — a process called "repatriation" or "restitution."
Some museums have returned items, and governments have negotiated transfers of objects back to Nigeria. For example, in 2025 the Netherlands returned 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria as part of a large restitution decision. These returns are often ceremonies that aim to recognize past wrongs, to restore cultural artifacts to their communities, and to support local museums and cultural centers in showing the objects along with the songs and stories that make them meaningful.
Repatriation is not a simple answer. Sometimes legal and ethical issues, museum policies, and national laws make return difficult. Sometimes museums prefer long-term loans or collaborative displays. But many people in Benin and beyond see returns as a form of historical repair — a way to restore things that were taken during a time when the rules were unjust.
Repatriation can also open the door to collaborative work: joint exhibitions, research projects, training for conservators in home countries, and community programs that teach young people the stories linked to the objects. In many cases, the community's knowledge — elders' songs, family histories, maker names — is what gives returned objects their full meaning again.
Telling this history to children requires care. Use plain language, focus on people rather than blame, and give children ways to respond. Below are simple steps, activities and guided questions you can use in classrooms or at home.
1. Start with what matters to children: Ask them about objects in their own homes that have stories (a grandparent's scarf, a carved spoon, a wedding ring). This connects the idea of memory to things they already know.
2. Tell the story as a timeline with gentle language: explain that there was a kingdom with many artisans, that foreigners came to trade, that a dangerous event happened (the ambush of a British party), and that the British then used a military force to take control. Explain that during that time, many objects were taken and sent far away.
3. Emphasize learning and repair: explain that today, people are trying to fix what they can by returning objects and by listening to elders. Talk about how communities keep traditions alive even when bad things happen.
4. Use activities: the "memory map" exercise (described below) helps children collect stories about objects in their homes. Another activity is a focused listening session with an elder who can describe what an object was used for and why it mattered.
5. Invite respectful questions: children often ask "Why?" and "Was it fair?" Encourage questions and answer simply. For example: "Some things were taken unfairly, and now people are talking about how to make that better." Emphasize empathy and the idea that we can try to help and learn.
Below are trusted sources where you can read more, gather images, and prepare lessons. Use adult supervision for deeper readings and for materials with complex legal or historical detail.
If you are preparing a lesson: gather images from museum collections that allow educational use (many museums provide teacher resources), invite a local elder or historian to speak, and prepare a short glossary for students (e.g., Oba = king; bronzes = metal plaques and sculptures; repatriation = returning objects to their home).
Activity idea — Memory Map (classroom-friendly)
Teaching note: When discussing the military action and looting, avoid graphic detail with younger children. Focus on the idea of "something unfair happened, and now people are working to fix it." For older students, you can read more of the primary documents and museum records listed above.
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