Barnaby Phillips: Loot - Britain And The Benin Bronzes

In a time of intense debate about the legacies of empire, loot, museums and history, what does the future hold for the Benin Bronzes, the treasures stolen from Nigeria?

In 1897 Britain responded to the killing of a group of officials by razing an empire to the ground. The men had been travelling to the ancient Kingdom of Benin, in what is now Nigeria, when they were ambushed and killed by local soldiers. Just six weeks later, the British exacted their revenge: setting Benin aflame, exiling the king and annexing the territory. They also made off with some of Africa’s greatest works of art.