How much were Africans involved in selling other Africans into slavery? "The truth is rarely pure and never simple" quoted from Oscar Wilde's 1895 play The Importance of Earnest.
"The Benin Bronzes are among the most renowned artworks in West Africa. Interestingly, recent findings suggest they were crafted using ore mined in Germany. A new study revealed that the art was crafted from raw metal derived from "manillas"—metal bracelets or anklets traditionally used as currency in some parts of Africa.
Going back in history, manillas played a significant role in trade within West Africa and Europeans picked up on this. They started manufacturing this form of currency -- which they could produce in unlimited numbers -- and using it for trade. Particularly for the slave trade. ..."
From the abstract:
"Utilizing geochemical analysis, this study identifies the sources of European brass used in the casting of the renowned Benin Bronzes, produced by the Edo people of Nigeria. It is commonly believed that distinctive brass rings known as “manillas”, used as currency in the European trade in West Africa, also served as a metal source for the making of the Bronzes. However, prior to the current study, no research had conclusively connected the Benin artworks and the European manillas. For this research, manillas from shipwrecks in African, American and European waters dating between the 16th and 19th Century were analysed using ICP-MS analysis. Comparing trace elements and lead isotope ratios of manillas and Benin Bronzes identifies Germany as the principal source of the manillas used in the West African trade between the 15th and 18th centuries before British industries took over the brass trade in the late 18th century."
German brass for Benin Bronzes: Geochemical analysis insights into the early Atlantic trade (open access)
Example of Benin Bronzes artwork
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