Tag Archives: Benin Bronzes

The Art Newspaper: Artefacts in Swiss museums were looted from the Kingdom of Benin, new report says

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The Art Newspaper: Artefacts in Swiss museums were looted from the Kingdom of Benin, new report says. “Twenty-one works in Swiss museum collections were looted from Benin City when the Royal Palace was plundered by the British Army in 1897, a new report reveals. The report, published by the Swiss Benin Initiative (SBI) group, focused on 96 Benin bronze items in eight museums including the Musée d’ethnographie de la Ville de Genève and the Museum der Kulturen Basel.”

The Art Newspaper: Cologne museum to transfer 92-strong Benin bronze collection back to Nigeria

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The Art Newspaper: Cologne museum to transfer 92-strong Benin bronze collection back to Nigeria. “The Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum, an ethnological museum that opened in 1906, says it will transfer ownership of 92 works; three items will be returned this month with 52 objects to be transferred from next year. The remainder will remain on long-term loan to the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in line with other restitution agreements.”

ARTnews: Restitution Organization Sues to Keep Smithsonian’s Benin Bronzes From Returning to Nigeria

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ARTnews: Restitution Organization Sues to Keep Smithsonian’s Benin Bronzes From Returning to Nigeria. “The New York–based organization Restitution Study Group (RSG) is spearheading a lawsuit against the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. to stop the return of the museum’s 29 Benin bronzes to Nigeria. The group argues that returning the bronzes denies the descendants of enslaved people in America the chance to experience their heritage.”

Art Newspapers: Benin bronzes online database goes live with details of thousands of looted artefacts

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Art Newspaper: Benin bronzes online database goes live with details of thousands of looted artefacts. “A highly anticipated new online database listing works of art looted from the Kingdom of Benin has launched, shining a light on more than 5,000 looted objects housed at more than 100 museums worldwide.”

Smithsonian Magazine: The Smithsonian Returns a Trove of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

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Smithsonian Magazine: The Smithsonian Returns a Trove of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. “In a joint ceremony today, the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) collectively transferred ownership of 30 Benin bronzes, 29 of which come from the Smithsonian, to the people of Nigeria. Of the 29 items, 20 will be returned to Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and nine will remain, loaned to the NMAfA for later display.”

BBC: Horniman Museum to return 72 artefacts to Nigeria

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BBC: Horniman Museum to return 72 artefacts to Nigeria. “A London museum says it has agreed to return to Nigeria artefacts looted in the 19th Century from the Kingdom of Benin. The Horniman Museum said ownership of 72 objects would be transferred to the Nigerian government. Items include 12 brass plaques, known as Benin Bronzes, a brass cockerel and a key to the king’s palace.”

UNESCO: UNESCO welcomes the signing of a historic agreement between Germany and Nigeria for the return of 1,130 Benin bronzes

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UNESCO: UNESCO welcomes the signing of a historic agreement between Germany and Nigeria for the return of 1,130 Benin bronzes . “The declaration goes beyond a mere restitution and provides for ambitious cultural cooperation. Under the terms of the declaration, Germany is expected to participate in archaeological exploration work, provide training for Nigerian museum staff, help build a new museum in Benin and return looted Benin Bronzes from German museum collections, while promoting international travelling and joint exhibitions.”

Washington Post: Smithsonian to give back its collection of Benin bronzes

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Washington Post: Smithsonian to give back its collection of Benin bronzes. “The repatriation of the 39 priceless artworks is the cornerstone of an agreement that could be signed as early as next month, the head of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments told The Washington Post. It includes provisions for long-term loans, shared exhibitions and education programs in Nigeria. The deal reflects a fundamental change in the Smithsonian’s collecting practices.”

The Guardian: Newcastle museum to return Benin bronze stave

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The Guardian: Newcastle museum to return Benin bronze stave. “A Benin bronze in the collection of a Newcastle museum is to be proactively returned to Nigeria, the latest in a number of repatriations that ratchet up pressure on the British Museum to follow suit. Bosses of the Great North Museum: Hancock announced that it had recently been established that a brass stave with a distinctive bird finial had been looted from Benin City by the British military in 1897.”

Reuters: New online archive for Benin Bronzes to go live at end of 2022

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Reuters: New online archive for Benin Bronzes to go live at end of 2022. “An online archive bringing together information on thousands of Benin Bronze artefacts in museums around the world is expected to go live at the end of next year, one of the organisers said on Friday. The Benin Bronzes, which are mostly in Europe, were stolen from Nigeria’s Benin City during colonialism and are among Africa’s most significant heritage objects.”

The Art Newspaper: Smithsonian Museum of African Art removes Benin bronzes from display and plans to repatriate them

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The Art Newspaper: Smithsonian Museum of African Art removes Benin bronzes from display and plans to repatriate them . “The Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC has removed its Benin bronzes from display and is planning to repatriate artefacts that were looted by the British in an 1897 raid on the royal palace, according to the museum’s director, Ngaire Blankenberg.”

BBC: Cambridge University’s Jesus College bronze cockerel to be returned

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BBC: Cambridge University’s Jesus College bronze cockerel to be returned. “A bronze cockerel kept at Cambridge University that had been looted in a British raid on what is now Nigeria will be handed back this month. The Benin bronze, known as an ‘okukor’, was given to Jesus College in 1905.”

EuroNews: British Museum accepts Nigerian artist’s gift – but keeps looted bronzes

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EuroNews: British Museum accepts Nigerian artist’s gift – but keeps looted bronzes. “A Nigerian artist who gifted his own work to the British Museum with the hopes of receiving looted colonial art back from them has had his offer declined. The British Museum accepted a bronze plaque made by an artist Osarobo Zeickner-Okoro, from Benin City in Nigeria, who entered negotiations for the museum to return priceless Benin Bronzes that were looted by British troops in 1897. He offered his creation to encourage the museum to give back the sculptures but also to demand acknowledgement of Benin City’s modern-day culture.”