The Preservation of Benin Bronze Casting Traditions in Benin City

The bronze casting tradition of Benin City, Edo State, represents one of Africa's most significant contributions to world art heritage, producing lost-wax cast sculptures of extraordinary technical sophistication over more than five centuries. This study examines the contemporary state of bronze casting tradition preservation in Benin City, investigating how practitioners, institutions, and community organisations are sustaining or adapting this heritage in the face of economic, demographic, and cultural pressures. A qualitative research design is employed, combining structured observation at the Igun Street casters' quarter with in-depth interviews conducted with 20 master casters, 10 guild officials, and 5 museum curators. The study evaluates the transmission of casting knowledge through apprenticeship, the commercial viability of current production, the impact of the British Museum repatriation debate on community pride and institutional investment, and the role of diaspora connections in sustaining market demand. The theoretical framework draws on intangible cultural heritage theory, the craft economies literature, and the postcolonial repatriation discourse. The South South geopolitical context of Edo State places the Benin bronze tradition within a broader regional narrative of cultural resilience. Recent international attention following the Benin Bronzes repatriation discourse has created new opportunities for heritage valorisation that this study evaluates. Findings are intended for the Edo State government, the Benin Traditional Council, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and international cultural heritage organisations. Keywords: Benin bronze casting, intangible heritage, Benin City, lost-wax casting, cultural preservation