As Nigerians Await Return Of Looted Benin Artifacts…

The Benin artifacts are a group of more than a thousand metal plaques and sculptures that decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin in what is now Nigeria. Collectively, the objects form the best known examples of Benin Art and were created from the 13th century onwards by artistes of the Edo people.
Apart from the plaques, other sculptures in Brass of Bronze include some famous portrait heads, jewellery and other smaller pieces. Most of the plaques and other objects were looted by British forces during the Benin expedition of 1897 as imperial control was being consolidated in southern Nigeria.
Two hundred pieces were taken to the British museum in London, while the rest found their way to other European museum. A large number are held by the British museum with other notable collections in Germany and united states. The Benin Bronze led to a greater appreciation in Europe of African culture and Art.
Initially, it appeared incredible to the discoverers that people “supposedly so primitive and savage” are responsible for such highly developed objects. Some even wrongly concluded that Benin knowledge of metallurgy came from the Portuguese traders who were in contact with Benin in the early modern period, the kingdom of Benin workmanship achieved its highest quality during the period.
While the collection was known as the Benin Bronze like most West African Bronzes, the pieces were mostly made of Brass of variable composition. There were also pieces made of mixtures of Bronze and Brass of wood, of ceramic and of ivory among other materials. The metal pieces were made using cast wax casting and are considered among the best sculptures made using this technique.
However, recent developments have shown that the precious artifacts that were looted during the colonial era will finally be returned to Nigeria, the German government has announced that the first returns are planned for 2022.
In a joint declaration published recently, German’s Ministry of Culture, state ministers and museum directors committed to “Substantive returns of Benin Bronzes, art work made of Bronzes, Brass and Ivory that were looted by the British in a raid in the kingdom of Benin in present day Nigeria in 1897 agreed to return them.
The Bronzes were subsequently distributed across the world and hundreds are currently held in German museums. Nigeria had sought for their return for decades, Germany is now leading in the global restitution movement”.
German culture Minister described the declaration as a historic milestone, “ this decision was a truce with parties, not a win-win or winner takes all, the declaration lays out plans for the first pieces to be returned next year and for a road map to guide additional restitution without specifying which artifacts or how many parties to the agreement have pledged to work with Nigerians partners including the legacy Restoration Trust which is leading the development of the new Edo museum for West African Art in Benin city, Edo state.
The announcement follows a visit by a German government delegation to Nigeria in March this year, after which the Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas signalled support for restitution. Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki who hosted the delegation subsequently announced the launch of a Legacy Restoration Trust and expressed hope that international co-oporation would go beyond the return of the objects.
“We believe that our collaboration should not only transcend to not only returning the works, but also understanding the significance and meaning of those works from our history”, Obaseki stated.
German has also committed to supplying expertise and funding for the new Museum designed by award winning architect David Adjaye and recently launched a knowledge exchange platform for collaboration between German and African museums.
According to Prof. Dan Hicks of Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford and author of a book on the Benin Bronzes “ This clear statement from such a powerful group of German museum leaders setting out their willingness to make substantive returns of Benin Bronzes will be very welcome to many.
The Bronzes have come to be regarded as among the finest artworks produced in Africa and individual pieces have sold for millions of dollars at auction. Nigeria’s campaign for their return predates the country’s independence in 1960. The issue has often been a source of tention in relations with former colonial powers such as diplomatic incident in 1977 sparked by the British museum’s refusal to return an Ivory mask on loan.
Returning looted artifacts will finally restore heritage to the brilliant cultures that made them. But after decades of little success, there have been signs of movement in recent years. In 2019, the French government commissioned a report recommending that museum artifacts from sub Saharan Africa be made available for restitution claims. The directors from museums in Netherlands have supported calls for a new process for restitution.
A handful of institutions have also acted in their own initiative. The national museum of Ireland recently committed to process for its Bronzes. According to the Times, while the University of Aberdeen has announced it will return a Bronze, United Kingdom laws forbid national museums from returning parts f their collections which has proved a significant barrier.
The British museum which holds the largest collection of bronzes from Benin has been a frequent target for campaign. Despite the setbacks created by the British authorities, there are positive developments in the other parts of the world to return the stolen artifacts back to Benin, Nigeria which would be a dream come true.

By: Jacob Obinna