As of 2023, it was announced that the Benin Bronzes would be returned to Nigeria from institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts and the Smithsonian. This effort to return the bronzes even extended to governments, such as Germany’s, which has returned all its bronzes. This restitution effort is one of many that are changing and growing the museum world today.
Restitution in a museum setting often refers to the return of objects that were acquired through illegal or morally questionable means- the effort to return what was lost. One of the fairly recent focuses of restitution efforts has shifted to the Benin Bronzes. The bronzes are various forms of plaques and sculptures made of bronze, brass, ivory, and wood that represented the kingdom of Benin in various ways. For example, it would range from sculptures of animals and people to important ceremonial objects that honor the oba (king) and his reign.
The event that triggered the need for the return of the bronzes occurred in 1897 when the British invaded the Kingdom of Benin in an effort known as the Punitive Expedition of 1897. This expedition ended the empire, but the culture still survived. The British then claimed Benin as a British territory, but not before looting the Kingdom of various objects, which are known as the Benin Bronzes. The Bronzes were looted from throughout the kingdom by British soldiers and sent back across Europe, where many are still held today. However, thanks to the aforementioned restitution efforts, many of the Bronzes have been returned to Nigeria.
Currently, the bronzes that were returned have made their way back to Nigeria and will be displayed on November 11, 2025, in Benin, Nigeria. They will be displayed at the newly opened Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) with their inaugural exhibition, Nigeria Imaginary: Homecoming, showcasing the Bronzes in their new home and representing how restitution efforts are changing the museum world.
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