Michelangelo's David: Great Art Explained

Very recommendable! Excellent!

The tragedy of the one guy who was right about the Trojan Horse

Very recommendable!

Great Art Explained: Bernini's Apollo and Daphne

Very recommendable! This famous sculpture is absolutely amazing!

Pre-19th century Benin Bronzes found to be made of German brass

Quality Made in Germany recognized all over the world! (just kidding) 😊

"... In this study, researchers performed chemical analysis on 67 manillas recovered from five Atlantic shipwrecks and three land sites in Europe and Africa dating between the 16th and 19th centuries, specifically identifying lead isotope signatures and trace element compositions of the metal. They found a strong similarity between the metal composition of the Benin Bronzes and that of the manillas used in Portuguese trade prior to the 18th century, suggesting these manillas were a major source of metal for the sculptures.

Furthermore, the composition of those manillas is similar to ores from the German Rhineland, suggesting that Germany was the principle source of metal for production of pre-18th century manillas and, ultimately, the Benin Bronzes. The consistency in metal composition of the Bronzes suggests that African metalsmiths were very selective about what metal they would use. ..."

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."

Benin Bronzes found to be made of German brass

German brass for Benin Bronzes: Geochemical analysis insights into the early Atlantic trade

Table 1. Manillas typology

How was it made? Donatello's marble carving technique

Recommendable! 

Three Michelangelos in Florence: Great Art Cities

Very recommendable!

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Who stole the color from classical sculpture?

That classical greco-roman sculptures were not white has been revealed about 20 years ago so.

This is about a new exhibit at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art titled Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color