The display of Benin art in museums and galleries reflects Europeans' attitudes and perceptions of non-Western, particularly African, artifacts. Therefore, as European attitudes towards non-Western art changed after the discovery of Benin art in 1897, Benin art was reevaluated and reclassified. Initially there was much discussion about Benin art and its display, as it did not equate to the perceptions then linked to Africa. Until the British conquest of Benin in 1897, little was known about Benin and its culture, other than brief interaction with other Europeans in the 16th century. The perception of Africa was that of a primitive, wild and uncivilized land, full of "abuse, fetishes and idolatries" (Hodgkin, 1975, p33). Therefore, when the English invaded Benin, they treated any artefacts they found as “war spoils” (Woods, 2008, p30) and sold anything of any value to pay for the shipment. They removed artefacts and works of art without recording any contextual evidence of form or function. These ideas are evident in the photographs in figures 1.10 on page 31, 2.2 on page 50 in Cultural Encounters (AA100, Book 3) and in plate 3.1.14 in the Illustration Book: Plates for Book 3 and 4 where the artefacts are grouped in piles with centralized white figures suggesting only British triumph (Loftus, 2008). The "clever workmanship" (Gallewey, 1893b, p37) and "delicacy of detail" (Bacon, 1897, p39) attest to the quality of the artworks and subsequent bidding by rival museums and galleries for the pieces did not prevented the perception that Africa, and therefore Benin, as barbaric and primitive. The debate was how such a barbaric society could produce such sophisticated works of art. The quality of the Benin bronzes, based on...... middle of paper...... Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 45-58Mackie, R. (2008), 'The Art of the Benin: Changing Relations between Europe and Africa I: The Conquest of Benin in the 1890s, in Brown, R (ed.), Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book3), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 16-32 Pike, J. ( 2008), 'Cultural Encounters and Cultural Exemptions', in Brown, R (ed.), Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book3), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 90-122Wood, P (2008), 'The Art of the Benin: Changing Relations between Europe and Africa II: The Benin Bronzes and Modern Art, in Brown, R (ed.), Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book3 ), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.58-78Woods, K (2008 ), "The art of Benin: changing relations between Europe and Africa I: The art of Benin", in Brown, R (ed. di), Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book3), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.4-16