The Artisans of Igun — Brass Casters and the Secrets They Pass Down
A deep cultural story of Benin’s legendary bronze casters, their skills, beliefs, and survival in a modern world.
📚 Table of Contents
- Introduction — A street where history breathes
- Origins of Igun Street & the Benin Kingdom
- The lost-wax casting method explained simply
- Apprenticeship, secrets & sacred knowledge
- Spiritual beliefs behind the bronze
- Colonial encounter & the Benin Bronzes
- Modern Igun: survival, tourism & adaptation
- Watch: Igun Street & Benin Bronze videos
- Lessons for today’s youth & artisans
- Further reading & Google search links
🧭 Introduction — A street where history breathes
In the heart of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, lies a street unlike any other —
Igun Street. To the casual visitor, it may look like an ordinary
artisan settlement filled with small workshops and metal sculptures. But to historians,
anthropologists, and custodians of African heritage, Igun Street is a living museum.
For over 700 years, families on this street have practiced the sacred
art of bronze and brass casting. The knowledge is not written in books. It is whispered
from father to son, master to apprentice, generation after generation.
This is the story of those artisans — how they work, what they believe, what they lost,
and how they continue to survive in a rapidly changing world.
🏛️ Origins of Igun Street & the Benin Kingdom
Igun Street traces its roots to the powerful Benin Kingdom, one of the
most sophisticated pre-colonial states in Africa. The Oba of Benin was not just a king;
he was regarded as semi-divine. Art was central to royal authority.
Bronze casters, known traditionally as Igun-Eronmwon, were guild members who
worked exclusively for the Oba. Their duty was to record history — coronations, wars,
rituals, and royal lineages — using metal.
Every plaque, head, or figure was a historical document. In a society without widespread
writing, bronze became memory.
🔥 The lost-wax casting method — explained simply
The artisans of Igun use a method called lost-wax casting. Though it
sounds complex, the idea is simple.
- An image is first shaped in wax.
- The wax model is covered with clay.
- When heated, the wax melts and flows out.
- Molten brass or bronze is poured into the empty space.
- The clay is broken to reveal the final sculpture.
Because the mold is broken, each piece is unique. No two castings are
ever exactly the same — a powerful metaphor for human history itself.
👨🏫 Apprenticeship, secrets & sacred knowledge
Knowledge on Igun Street is guarded carefully. Apprentices begin young, often as children
within the family. Learning is slow, deliberate, and disciplined.
Some formulas — metal ratios, ritual timings, symbolic proportions — are never spoken
openly. They are learned by observation and years of trust.
Breaking these rules or teaching outsiders without permission was traditionally believed
to attract spiritual consequences.
🕯️ Spiritual beliefs behind the bronze
To the Igun artisans, casting is not just physical labor — it is spiritual work.
Before major castings, prayers and libations are offered.
Certain days are avoided. Certain words are not spoken during casting.
The belief is that the metal listens.
⚔️ Colonial encounter & the Benin Bronzes
In 1897, British forces invaded Benin City. Thousands of bronze works were looted and
taken to Europe. Today, they sit in museums in London, Berlin, and beyond.
Yet the skill did not die. Igun Street survived — quietly continuing its craft even
without royal patronage.
🌍 Modern Igun — survival, tourism & adaptation
Today, Igun artisans produce works for tourists, collectors, and cultural institutions.
Electricity, modern tools, and global markets have changed the workflow — but the soul
of the craft remains intact.
Young casters now balance tradition with innovation, social media with secrecy.
🎥 Watch: Igun Street & Benin Bronze videos
📘 Lessons for today’s youth & artisans
Igun Street teaches patience, mastery, and respect for heritage.
In a fast-moving world, it reminds us that some things should not be rushed.
🔎 Further reading & Google search links
— Written for Edwin Ogie Library
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