Netherlands returns looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

At the request of Nigeria, the Netherlands will today return 113 pieces of bronze art that form part of the Benin Bronzes collection, Culture Minister Eppo Bruins announced. The artifacts were looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin, now Nigeria, in 1897 and eventually sold to the Netherlands. Separately, the municipality of Rotterdam is also returning six pieces from the Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.

The 113 artifacts that were in the Dutch National Collection include placards, pendants, and figurines. They’re currently in the collection of the Wereldmuseum in Leiden. The Minister called the pieces “of great importance to Nigerian society.”

“With this return, we are contributing to the redress of a historical injustice that is still felt today,” Bruins said in a press release. “Heritage is essential for telling and experiencing the history of a country and community. The Benin Bronzes are therefore indispensable for Nigeria. It is good that they are returning.”

Bruins will sign the transfer agreement along with Olugbile Holloway, Director General of the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, at the Wereldmuseum in Leiden on Wednesday.

Director General Holloway called the return from the Netherlands the largest return of looted antiquities in Nigeria’s history. “We thank the Netherlands for its cooperation and hope that this will be a good example in the field of the return of lost or looted antiquities for other countries worldwide,” he said.

The municipality of Rotterdam will also return six objects from the Benin Bronzes that it had in its collection. They are a bell, three relief plates, a coconut holder, and a staff. “Art and heritage should be where they belong. These objects belong in Nigeria. With this return, we are taking an important step in recognizing the past and respecting the value that these objects represent for Nigeria,” said Rotterdam alderman Said Kasmi.