Art practitioners and curators believe these returns are especially important at a time when young Nigerians have few means of engaging with the country’s rich history.
The story of the Benin Bronzes and their eventual looting is a part of Nigerian history that still immensely impacts everyday life. For years, it has formed a hole in the country’s history, splitting timelines between when these prized artifacts were an existing part of our culture and after they were looted by the British and sold to private collectors worldwide. This has resulted in generations deprived of the chance to grow up next to their historical artifacts.
In recent years, individuals and groups have been fighting for these bronzes to be returned to reenter Nigerian history, especially when young Nigerians have so few means of learning about them.
While the efforts have been sluggish, the British Museum, for instance, refuses to relinquish control of the looted artifacts based on a 1963 permanent removal policy, but other headways have been made. This February, the Netherlands agreed to return 113 Benin Bronzes looted from Nigeria by the British troops in the late 19th century.
It’s the largest return so far and the most significant. While commenting on this landmark return in an interview with BellaNaija, Olugbile Holloway, the director-general of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), says, “A lot of these pieces serve a spiritual purpose because they tell the story and history of the Benin Kingdom and the lineage of the Oba. For example, the elephant tusks narrate past Obas’ stories, which can be read from top to bottom by Benin historians. The bronze cocks are symbols of royalty and divinity.”
This is a crucial time for these bronzes to be returned; with a growing youth population, many without formal historical education, these returns could open a pathway toward historical education and preservation.As Chinyere Obieze, a curator and art practitioner, tells OkayAfrica, “I am excited for the Benin people. The lore is magnificent; having the physical evidence of a way of life with the right storytelling would do wonders for decoloniality.” Obieze added, “It is an opportunity for them to rediscover foundations for new metaphors for their individuality and contribution to the multicultural landscape of Nigeria.”
Source: OkayAfrica
