Benin Court Arts from Nigeria

With over 300 items on display, this exhibition offers an overview of art and culture in the Kingdom of Benin, from the 14th until the 19th century. It documents the fall of the independent Kingdom, its reconstitution in the 20th century, and its existence until today. \nFor the very first time masterpieces from Benin, scattered all over the world at the end of the nineteenth century, have been brought together in this extraordinary exhibition. Apart from highlighting the importance of the pieces as valuable works of art, the presentation also zooms in on their function as historical documents in the reconstruction of Benin's historical past and on their significance as an inventory of ritual objects. Museum experts and scientists from Nigeria, the US and Europe cooperated in the design and composition of the exhibition, which was mounted in close collaboration with Nigerian authorities and the Benin royal family. \n\nMuseum f?r V?lkerkunde, Vienna: 08/05 - 03/09/2007 - Mus?e du Quai Branly, Paris: 02/10/2007 - 06/01/2008 - Etnographisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: 07/02 - 25/05/2008 - Art Institute of Chicago: 27/06 - 21/09/2008