119 antiquated sculptures taken from the former Nigerian kingdom of Benin during the colonial era have been returned to the Netherlands.
The artefacts were “embodiments of the spirit and identity of the people from which they were taken from,” according to Olugbile Holloway, director-general of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, on Saturday.
At a ceremony held at the National Museum in Lagos, he said, “We only ask of the world for fairness, dignity, and respect.”
Germany, according to Holloway, also agreed to return more than 1, 000 additional pieces.
As pressure mounts on Western governments to return items stolen during imperialism, the Benin Bronzes are the most recent examples of this region’s rich history.
The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, the traditional ruler of the Kingdom of Benin in southern Nigeria, will receive the rest of the artefacts while four are on display in the museum’s courtyard and will remain in the museum’s permanent collection.
Bronze sculptures from the 16th through the 18th centuries are included in the Benin Bronzes.
When British forces under Sir Henry Rawson’s command ransacked the Benin kingdom in modern-day southern Nigeria in 1897, forcing the monarch, Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, into a six-month exile, the items were taken.
Nigeria formally requested the return of hundreds of objects from museums around the world in 2022. About 72 objects from a London museum were returned in the same year, and 31 from Rhode Island, in the United States.
Source: Aljazeera
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