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Masterpieces of the British Museum

BBC Four
on BBC Four

4/6. New. How a bronze head caused Europeans to revise completely their cultural assumptions about Africa.

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Masterpieces of the British Museum 8.30pm BBC4
This series hits the spot again with a compelling examination of the bronze Head of Ife. About 800 years old, from Benin (in modern-day Nigeria), it caused Europeans to come up with all sorts of wild theories to explain its sophisticated casting techniques. Why couldn't the experts accept that Benin had developed techniques then unknown in Europe? It's a question to ponder while travelling to the British Museum, for you'll undoubtedly want to see the real thing. (Geoff Ellis)

Source: Radio Times

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