Assignment: Return of the Benin Bronzes

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2024

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1897 British colonial forces attacked and looted the ancient Kingdom of Benin in what is now southern Nigeria. Thousands of precious objects were taken, including stunning sculptures made of bronze, brass, ivory and terracotta. Some were decorative, some were sacred. Known collectively as the Benin Bronzes, they were famed for their craftsmanship and beauty. The majority ended up in museums around the world. But ever since, Nigerians have been demanding their return. The Bronzes became symbols of the wider global campaign for restitution by former colonial powers. Now finally, some have been handed back. Peter Macjob travels to Nigeria to track the return of the Bronzes, and find out what it means for Nigeria to have these lost treasures come home.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.
0:03.0	I'm Peter Macjob and for assignment I'm in Nigeria to trace the return of some of the Benin bronzes
0:09.5	treasures looted from the Kingdom of Benin over a hundred years ago.
0:13.4	In the sweltering open,
0:15.6	in the sweltering open air foundries of Benin City in southern Nigeria, you can find
0:26.2	traces of the lost ancient treasures that lie at the heart of this story, because here they
0:31.5	still cast bronze and brass as their forefathers have done for the past 800 years.
0:37.0	The same technique passed down through generations of select be in families.
0:42.0	My name is Phil Lomadaver.
0:44.0	I'm a six generation of bronze caster.
0:46.0	This runs in your family.
0:48.0	Yes, it runs.
0:49.0	My father was into a, my great-grandfather was into his big he was being passed from father to some.
0:53.0	And how long have you been doing it?
0:55.0	For when I was a kid.
0:58.0	I was born in the foundry and grew up in the factory.
1:00.0	Guys are aware we big before we we point the multi-pros.
1:03.0	In one corner of the yard is an open wood fire.
1:06.0	In the center is a furnace,
1:08.0	effectively a hole dug in the red earth.
1:10.0	In a modern twist, it's superheated by an air compressor.
1:13.0	You're trying to make a bell?
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.