The Horniman Museum and Gardens has agreed to return ownership of twelve Benin bronzes to Nigeria.
In total, ownership of 72 objects stolen during the British military invasion of Benin City, Southern Nigeria, in February 1897, will be returned to the central African nation.
Benin bronzes are decorative plaques that once decorated the Royal Palace of Benin. Made from brass and various metals, they are considered emblematic of a ‘golden age’ of Benin metal craftsmanship.
The plaques at the Horniman depict a variety of scenes and images including encounters with Portuguese traders and a royal military priest.
Professor Abba Tijani, Director-General of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) said: “We very much welcome this decision by the Trustees of the Horniman Museum and Gardens.
“Following the endorsement by the Charity Commission, we look forward to a productive discussion on loan agreements and collaborations between the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and the Horniman.”
Other objects being returned include ivory and brass ceremonial objects, a brass cockerel altar piece, brass bells, fans and baskets, and a key ‘to the king’s palace’.
The Horniman will now discuss the formal transfer process with the NCMM, and the possibility of retaining some objects on loan for display, research and education.
The museum received the request from the NCMM in January 2022 and researched its objects from Benin to establish which were in the scope of the request.
The Horniman says it made the decision having consulted with community members, visitors, schoolchildren, academics, heritage professionals and artists based in Nigeria and the UK.
Eve Salomon, Chair of the Trustees of the Horniman Museum and Gardens, said: “The evidence is very clear that these objects were acquired through force, and external consultation supported our view that it is both moral and appropriate to return their ownership to Nigeria.
“The Horniman is pleased to be able to take this step and we look forward to working with the NCMM to secure longer term care for these precious artefacts.”
The return of the objects stolen under the British Empire, now displayed in British Museums, is a source of vociferous debate.
For example, Greece has called for the return of the Elgin Marbles, currently displayed in the British Museum, since the early 1980s.
The British Museum also houses 900 objects from the historic Kingdom of Benin, only roughly 100 of which are permanently on display.
Asked if it plans to return these objects, the British Museum would not say if it would. Instead a British Museum spokesperson said: “The British Museum understands and recognises the significance of the issues surrounding the return of objects and we work with communities, colleagues and museums across the globe to share the collection as widely as possible.
“The collections also offer an important opportunity for audiences to understand the history of the British conquest of Benin City and to reflect on the impact of this period of colonial history.
“Deepening public access and understanding, creating new ways and opportunities for collections to be shared and understood right across the world, and forging connections between the present and the past, remain at the core of what the British Museum seeks to achieve.”