Nigeria’s new Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), opening on November 11, was set to showcase the returned Benin bronzes, looted by British forces in 1897. Instead, visitors will see clay replicas created by contemporary artist Yinka Shonibare, as the repatriated original bronzes remain off public display. This surprising situation stems from a complex restitution process where Western institutions rushed to return the artifacts. The well-intentioned haste overlooked a long-standing internal dispute over rightful ownership between Nigeria’s federal government, Edo state (where the Kingdom of Benin was located), and the Oba of Benin, who was officially recognized in March 2023 as the legal custodian of the treasures. Consequently, the treasures are destined for a separate royal museum, leaving the publicly funded MOWAA to tell its broader West African story without the restituted centerpieces.
The Guardian
