Collection Connections to the 1897 Military Campaign Henrietta Lidchi, Rosalie Hans and Annette Schmidt
Based on the archival evidence, a number of the 174 extant objects at the NMVW appear to have been looted during a military expedition to Benin City. The ‘Benin Territories Expedition’, more commonly known as the ‘Benin Punitive Expedition’ – was launched by the British in 1897 with Foreign Office approval. A British-led force under the command of the Royal Navy was composed of the Royal Marines, sailors and African soldiers of the Niger Coast Protectorate Forces. On 18 February 1897, British forces looted the Palace of the Oba, or king, of Benin, the palace of the Queen Mother (Iyoba) and the dwellings of the other high-ranking people. As a result, a large number of the artefacts in the NMVW collections can be associated directly with the royal court of the Kingdom of Benin, and many others with political and religious life in Benin City.
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