Netherlands return over 100 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

The Netherlands said Wednesday it was returning more than 100 “Benin Bronzes” to Nigeria that British troops looted in the late 19th century and ended up in a Dutch museum. British soldiers stole the ancient sculptures, including depictions of royal figures and animals, in 1897 from the Kingdom of Benin in modern-day Nigeria. The treasures […]

The Netherlands said Wednesday it was returning more than 100 “Benin Bronzes” to Nigeria that British troops looted in the late 19th century and ended up in a Dutch museum.

British soldiers stole the ancient sculptures, including depictions of royal figures and animals, in 1897 from the Kingdom of Benin in modern-day Nigeria.

The treasures were then sold and had been displayed at the Wereldmuseum (World Museum) in Leiden.

“With this return, we are contributing to the redress of a historical injustice that is still felt today,” said Dutch Culture, Education, and Science Minister Eppo Bruins.

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The 113 pieces are the biggest haul returned to Nigeria from the 1897 raid, said Olugbile Holloway, Director General of the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

“We hope that this will be a good example… for other countries worldwide,” said Holloway in a statement.

The sculptures, prized for their beauty and technical artistry, are of spiritual and historical significance for the people from that part of Nigeria.

Their theft remains a point of pain for the descendants of those from the ancient Benin kingdom.

This move may increase pressure on other institutions to return the Benin Bronzes, especially the British Museum, which has over 900 artefacts.

Protests and demonstrations have taken place outside the British Museum as part of a campaign for their return.

However, the British Museum in London has refused to return any of its famed collection. 

A law passed in 1963 technically prevents the museum from giving back the treasures.

In 2022, Germany began returning items from its collections of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.