Cultural Historian Dr Gus Casely-Hayford tells the remarkable story of a sixteenth century ivory mask from the Kingdom of Benin, West Africa ⁠— now part of Nigeria.

Contrary to its serene visage, Casely-Hayford explores how this finely carved artefact is a ‘physical essay in power’: a testament to subterfuge, savvy trading networks and bloodshed. Casely-Hayford also reflects on the mask’s changing status in the British Museum over the course of the past century, and how such objects - once regarded as ‘primitive’ - had a profound impact on the Western twentieth century avant-garde. With the rise of post-colonial theory, such works in Western collections are now securing the status that their cultural significance merits.
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