Research Article
The Dating Game: The Scientific Analysis of Benin Copper-Alloy Art-From TL to ²¹°Pb
Received Date: September18, 2019; Published Date: November 06, 2019
Abstract
To determine the age and authenticity of Benin bronzes collectors and curators have turned to scientific analyses for certainty. Galleries increasingly offer every security from TL Dating to spectrography for the Benin objects they advertise. These watertight guarantees for objects that appear stylistically anomalous, even contemporary, have created a stir among art historians who are aware of TL and other methods usually through hearsay and conference scuttlebutt but don’t know how they work or what they do. This paper attempts a layman’s explorations and a critique for the study of Benin art. The exercise requires a basic knowledge of physics and assumes art historians have had at least a secondary or high school education.
