Benin bronzes vs Dahomey treasures: Clearing the confusion

If you have been following the global debate about restitution of looted African art, you have almost certainly encountered two terms: the Benin Bronzes and the Dahomey treasures. Both involve objects taken by European powers during colonial conquest. Both are at the centre of high-profile restitution campaigns. And both are frequently confused with each other.

The confusion is understandable. The names overlap confusingly: Benin is both a modern country (the Republic of Benin, formerly Dahomey) and a historical kingdom (the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Nigeria). When you read news about "Benin" demanding the return of its treasures, which Benin does it refer to? The answer depends on whether the article is about the Benin Bronzes or the Dahomey treasures.

This article is designed to settle the confusion once and for all. Here is everything you need to know about the difference between the Benin Bronzes and the Dahomey treasures.

The kingdom of Benin vs the kingdom of Dahomey

Let us start with the most fundamental point: the Benin Bronzes come from the Kingdom of Benin, which was located in what is now southern Nigeria. The Dahomey treasures come from the Kingdom of Dahomey, which was located in what is now southern Benin. These were two entirely separate kingdoms, with different languages, different dynasties, different political systems, and different histories. They were rivals, not allies, and they were separated by about 300 kilometres of territory.

The Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the modern Republic of Benin) was a powerful Edo-speaking kingdom centred on the city of Benin, in the rainforest of southern Nigeria. It reached its height between the 15th and 17th centuries and was famous for its extraordinarily sophisticated brass and ivory art. The kingdom never fell to European conquest during the colonial period; instead, it was violently sacked by the British Punitive Expedition of 1897, which looted thousands of objects from the royal palace.

The Kingdom of Dahomey was a Fon-speaking kingdom centred on the city of Abomey, in what is now the Republic of Benin. It was founded around 1600 and became a major regional power in the 18th and 19th centuries. Unlike Benin, Dahomey was conquered by France in 1892-1894, and its royal treasures were taken by French colonial forces under Colonel Dodds.

The Benin bronzes: Origin and story

The term "Benin Bronzes" is a catch-all name for thousands of metal, ivory, and wooden objects that were taken from the Kingdom of Benin by British forces in 1897. Despite the name, most of the "bronzes" are actually made of brass. The name stuck because early European observers assumed they were bronze.

These objects were created by specialist guilds of artisans working for the Oba (king) of Benin. They include portrait heads of Obas, plaques depicting court life and historical events, figurative sculptures, and ceremonial objects. The most famous are the Benin plaques: rectangular brass panels that once adorned the pillars of the royal palace, depicting warriors, musicians, traders, and scenes from Benin history.

The technique used to make the Benin Bronzes is called lost-wax casting (cire perdue), a method that involves creating a wax model, covering it in clay, heating it to melt the wax, and then pouring molten metal into the resulting cavity. The Benin kingdom's mastery of this technique was extraordinary. When European visitors first saw Benin art in the 19th century, they could not believe it was African in origin. Portuguese traders who arrived in the 15th century were received at the Benin court with a level of sophistication that challenged their assumptions about African civilisation.

In February 1897, a British force of about 1,200 soldiers invaded Benin City, ostensibly in retaliation for the killing of a British delegation. The Punitive Expedition burned the city, destroyed the royal palace, and looted thousands of objects. The Oba was exiled. The objects were shipped to Britain, where many were sold at auction to cover the cost of the expedition. They ended up in museums across Europe and North America.

Today, the Benin Bronzes are scattered across more than 160 institutions worldwide, including the British Museum in London (which holds the largest collection), the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Nigeria has been campaigning for their return for decades, and in recent years, several institutions -- including the University of Aberdeen and the Humboldt Forum in Berlin -- have begun repatriating objects.

The Dahomey treasures: Origin and story

The Dahomey treasures are a smaller but equally significant group of objects taken from the Kingdom of Dahomey by French forces in 1892-1894. Unlike the Benin Bronzes, which number in the thousands and are made predominantly of brass, the Dahomey treasures are a more diverse collection of about 4,000 objects including wooden statues, royal thrones, ceremonial sceptres, appliqué textiles, and sacred altars.

The most famous objects among the Dahomey treasures are the anthropomorphic statues of the Dahomey kings. These statues, carved from wood and decorated with metal and glass beads, were not purely decorative -- they represented the spiritual presence of the king and were used in royal ceremonies. The statue of King Glele, for example, shows him seated on a throne, his body covered with symbols of his power: the shark (his symbol), the lion, and scenes from his reign.

The objects were taken during the Second Franco-Dahomean War. When King Behanzin ordered Abomey burned rather than surrendered, French soldiers entered the smouldering palace and removed everything of value: statues, thrones, palace doors, swords, religious objects. The objects were shipped to France and eventually deposited in the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris, where they were displayed as ethnographic artefacts rather than as the royal treasures of a sovereign kingdom.

For 129 years, Benin (the modern Republic of Benin) demanded their return. In 2021, following a change in French law, 26 of the most significant objects were returned. The rest -- an estimated 4,000 objects -- remain in French museums, and their return remains a subject of ongoing negotiation.

Side-by-side comparison

| Feature | Benin Bronzes | Dahomey Treasures | |---|---|---| | Origin kingdom | Kingdom of Benin (Edo) | Kingdom of Dahomey (Fon) | | Modern country | Nigeria | Republic of Benin | | Capital city | Benin City, Edo State | Abomey, Zou Department | | Colonial power | Britain (Punitive Expedition 1897) | France (Franco-Dahomean War 1892-94) | | Number of objects | Thousands (estimated 3,000-5,000) | About 4,000 total; 26 returned so far | | Primary materials | Brass, ivory, wood, coral | Wood, metal, textiles, glass beads | | Most famous objects | Benin plaques (brass relief panels) | Anthropomorphic royal statues | | Current location | 160+ museums worldwide | Mostly Musee du Quai Branly, Paris | | Key museum collections | British Museum (London), Humboldt Forum (Berlin), MET (New York) | Musee du Quai Branly (Paris) | | Year taken | 1897 | 1892-1894 | | Return status | Partial; ongoing repatriations | 26 objects returned in 2021; rest pending | | Key demand | Nigeria demands full return | Benin demands full return |

Why the confusion keeps happening

The confusion between the Benin Bronzes and the Dahomey treasures is not accidental. Several factors contribute to it.

The name "Benin" is ambiguous. The modern Republic of Benin changed its name from Dahomey in 1975. Before that, it was the French colony of Dahomey. So when people hear "Benin" in the context of African art restitution, they might think of either the modern country (formerly Dahomey) or the historical Kingdom of Benin (in modern Nigeria). Journalists often use "Benin" without specifying which one they mean.

Both involve looted royal art. Both collections consist of objects taken from African royal palaces by European colonial forces. Both are part of the same broad restitution movement. Articles about the Benin Bronzes and the Dahomey treasures often appear side by side in the news, reinforcing the sense that they are part of the same story.

Both campaigns gained momentum around the same time. The 2017 Macron speech in Ouagadougou, the 2021 return of the Dahomey treasures, and the 2022 repatriation of Benin Bronzes by Germany all happened within a few years of each other. The overlapping timelines make it easy to blur the two.

The term "Benin Bronzes" is misleadingly broad. Many people assume that any looted African art from a place called "Benin" must be a "Benin Bronze." In reality, the Dahomey treasures are not bronzes at all -- they are mostly wood and textile objects -- but the generic use of the term contributes to the confusion.

Why getting the difference matters

Distinguishing between the Benin Bronzes and the Dahomey treasures is not just pedantic. It matters for several important reasons.

Legal and political context. The restitution claims for each collection are handled by different governments (Nigeria and the Republic of Benin), directed at different former colonial powers (Britain and France), and governed by different legal frameworks. Confusing the two leads to misunderstandings about who is asking for what from whom.

Cultural specificity. Each collection comes from a distinct cultural tradition with its own artistic language, spiritual meanings, and historical context. Treating them as interchangeable diminishes both. The Benin Bronzes express the worldview of the Edo people; the Dahomey treasures express that of the Fon people. They are not the same.

The restitution debate itself. A clear understanding of the difference between the two is essential for anyone following the restitution debate. When you read that "Germany returned Benin Bronzes to Nigeria" and "France returned treasures to Benin," you need to understand that these are two separate processes involving two different countries and two different sets of objects.

What both have in common

Despite their differences, the Benin Bronzes and the Dahomey treasures share important features. Both were taken in acts of colonial violence. Both are central to contemporary debates about cultural restitution, museum decolonisation, and the legacy of European imperialism. Both are claimed by descendant communities who consider them not just art but objects of spiritual and political significance. And in both cases, the majority of objects remain in European and North American museums, with only a small fraction returned.

The parallel campaigns for the return of the Benin Bronzes and the Dahomey treasures are part of a larger global movement that is reshaping how museums think about ownership, provenance, and the ethics of holding objects taken in contexts of violence. This movement has already achieved significant results: the return of the Dahomey treasures in 2021, the repatriation of Benin Bronzes from Germany in 2022, and a growing willingness among Western institutions to engage seriously with restitution claims.

Frequently asked questions

Are the Benin Bronzes and Dahomey treasures the same thing?

No. The Benin Bronzes come from the Kingdom of Benin in modern Nigeria. The Dahomey treasures come from the Kingdom of Dahomey in the modern Republic of Benin. They are two different collections from two different kingdoms.

Why are they both called "Benin"?

The confusion arises because the modern Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey) shares its name with the historical Kingdom of Benin (in modern Nigeria). The two are not connected: the modern country took the name Benin in 1975, while the historical kingdom has been called Benin since before European contact.

Which collection was returned to Africa?

The Dahomey treasures saw 26 objects returned from France to the Republic of Benin in November 2021. The Benin Bronzes have seen partial returns from Germany, the United Kingdom, and other countries to Nigeria, with the process ongoing.

Which collection is larger?

Both collections number in the thousands. The Benin Bronzes are estimated at 3,000-5,000 objects scattered across more than 160 institutions worldwide. The Dahomey treasures are estimated at about 4,000 objects, the majority held by the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris, with 26 returned so far.

What are they made of?

The Benin Bronzes are primarily made of brass (not bronze, despite the name), along with ivory, wood, and coral. The Dahomey treasures include wooden statues, metal objects, textiles (notably appliqué work), and glass-beaded ceremonial pieces.

Can I see the Benin Bronzes or Dahomey treasures in their home countries?

Yes. The returned Dahomey treasures are currently exhibited at the Palais des Congres in Cotonou, Benin, pending the completion of the Museum of the Kings of Abomey near the Royal Palaces. Some Benin Bronzes have been returned to Nigeria and are displayed at the Benin National Museum in Benin City and the new Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA), currently under development.

Explore more

The Benin Bronzes and the Dahomey treasures are two threads in the same larger story: the plunder of African royal heritage during colonisation and the long struggle for its return. Start with our dark history of Dahomey hub for the broader context, then read our article on the Dahomey treasures restitution for the full story of the 2021 repatriation.

To explore the cultural context of the Dahomey treasures, visit the Musee Historique d'Abomey, housed in the former palace of King Glele. You can also learn about the lost-wax bronze casting tradition in Abomey - an art form that connects Dahomey's metalworking heritage to the broader West African brass and bronze tradition.

Planning a visit to Abomey? Our practical guide on how to visit Abomey covers transport, entrance fees, guided tours, and the best way to experience the Royal Palaces.