In an encouraging move to acknowledge past wrongs, the Smithsonian has agreed to return some artwork to its rightful home in Nigeria, as reported by the Washington Post. At least some of the 39 objects in question, the Benin Kingdom Court artworks, were obtained by a British raid on Benin City (also called Edo), Nigeria in 1897 (not to be confused with the neighboring country of Benin).
The city was pillaged and then burned down by the British as retribution for the Edo people attacking an earlier British expedition which had entered the city during a religious festival despite being warned not to. The British stole many of the city’s famous 13th century “bronzes” (actually made of brass) and ivory and wood carvings. In Benin City today, only traces of the old wall and moat are left.
The Smithsonian will pay to ship the artworks, where they will be exhibited at the National Museum of Benin in Benin City. Some of the objects will be loaned back to the institution in a future exhibition to be curated by Nigerians. The Smithsonian will also fund education programs for young Nigerians.
“What is more important than being in control of how your heritage, your artifacts, are displayed?” asked Abba Isa Tijani, director general of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments said, as reported by the Post.
This decision bodes well for other museums taking a hard look at their collections. Germany was the first country to hand back the Benin bronzes last year, and The Smithsonian recently worked with eight other museums and centers as part of the Ethical Returns Working Group to create guidelines for further repatriations across the Smithsonian’s 19 museums and research centers.