The Metropolitan Museum of Art has officially returned three looted African sculptures to Nigeria, joining a growing wave of international restitution efforts according to reporting by Agence France-Presse. The repatriation involves two 16th-century brass plaques and a 14th-century brass head from the Kingdom of Benin, which were taken from the Nigerian Royal Palace during British military occupation in 1897.
Provenance and Return of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
According to Agence France-Presse, the historical artifacts were initially moved to the British Museum in London following the 1897 colonial raid. The UK repatriated the items to the National Museum in Lagos in 1950. From there, the works re-entered the art market before a private investor acquired them and donated them to the Met in 1991, where they remained on exhibition for years.
As reported by Agence France-Presse, Met director Max Hollein and Abba Isa Tijani, director general of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments of Nigeria, met in New York for a signing that confirmed the official handover to the Nigerian National Collections. In a separate matter, collector Ceil Pulitzer attempted to gift a copper figure and two terracotta busts last year. According to The New York Times interview with Max Hollein, Pulitzer provided detailed provenance for the three pieces acquired between 2015 and 2018, but the documentation still fell short of the museum’s prerequisites for accepting gifts.
Future Loans and Bilateral Museum Agreements
Alongside the return of the 1897 looted pieces, the Met signed a bilateral agreement with Nigerian authorities to formalize a shared commitment to future artistic and scholarly exchanges, according to Agence France-Presse. The museum stated it will lend works from Benin to Nigerian museums. Conversely, Abuja will provide the Met with loans intended to aid the establishment of a new museum wing by 2024.
“The art world can be a better place if every possessor of cultural artifacts considers the rights and feelings of the dispossessed,” Nigeria’s minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in statements reported by Agence France-Presse. Met director Max Hollein added that his institution is pleased to initiate the return and remains committed to transparency and responsible cultural property collection.
Global Restitution Trends Across Western Institutions
The restitution of African artifacts removed by colonial armies has impacted cultural institutions across the Western world, according to Agence France-Presse. Earlier in the month, Paris returned 26 treasures looted from Benin during colonial times, fulfilling a promise made by President Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile, German museums agreed to collaborate with Nigerian authorities on a repatriation plan for looted Benin treasures.
In the United Kingdom, the Horniman Museum announced in April that it would consider returning artifacts obtained through colonial violence to Nigeria. However, the British Museum has faced increasing criticism for its ongoing refusal to return artifacts to Nigeria and Egypt, despite having helped return more than 150 looted ancient treasures to institutions in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2019, as detailed by Agence France-Presse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which artifacts did The Met return to Nigeria?
According to Agence France-Presse, the Met returned two 16th-century brass plaques and a 14th-century brass head from the Kingdom of Benin.
When were these items originally taken from Nigeria?
The objects were taken from the Nigerian Royal Palace during British military occupation in 1897, per Agence France-Presse reporting.
What is the agreement between the Met and Nigerian authorities?
According to Agence France-Presse, the two parties signed an agreement for future art exchanges, including Met loans to Nigerian museums and reciprocal loans from Abuja to support a new Met museum wing.
Keep reading