The Tribal Eye — Season 1, Episode 4: Kingdom of Bronze
Documentary • 50 min • 1 season, 7 episodes • ★ 8.8/10
Episode synopsis
In 1897 a group of African bronzes arrived in London that caused a sensation. Many European experts refused to believe that the bronzesmiths of the obscure ancient African kingdom of Benin in Nigeria could have developed the sophisticated technique of bronze-casting by themselves. David Attenborough traces the bronzes and the “lost wax” technique back to the craftsmen of Ife, the sacred town of the Yoruba people, predating by a century any European influence. We also see the beautiful and elegant portrait busts, plaques and standing figures which read as impressive chronicles of the elaborate court life under the autocratic Obas of Benin.
About The Tribal Eye
David Attenborough explains the enormous growth of interest in tribal art, and explores the emotions which lie behind the masks and decorations of primitive people.