Chapter 02 of 5
Mastery in Metal
Step into the guild of royal casters and their lost-wax secrets.
- The Guild
Secrets of the Igun Eronmwon
The royal brass casters lived in a dedicated quarter of the city. Their craft was a hereditary secret, serving only the Oba's court.
- The Medium
Bronze or Brass?
Though called 'Benin Bronzes,' most were actually high-quality brass. The Edo smiths preferred the golden luster of copper and zinc alloys.
- Mechanism
The Lost-Wax Secret
Casters used 'cire perdue,' carving intricate details into beeswax over a clay core. A single mistake during pouring would destroy the entire piece.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What casting technique did the Edo people use to create the intricate details of the Benin Bronzes?
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๐ The Kingdom of Benin: The Stolen Bronzes
- 01The Oba and the EdoDiscover the divine origins and golden age of the Benin Kingdom.
- 02Mastery in MetalStep into the guild of royal casters and their lost-wax secrets.
- 03The Punitive ExpeditionThe 1897 British invasion that burned a capital to the ground.
- 04The Myth of Primitive ArtHow stolen artifacts were used to justify colonial narratives.
- 05The Long Walk HomeThe modern movement to return the Bronzes to their rightful soil.