Switzerland Returns 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

Benin Bronzes from collections at the Museum of Ethnography Geneva, the University of Zurich Ethnographic Museum, and Museum Reitberg were returned to Nigeria this week. (Benin Bronzes are linked to a British raid on Benin City in 1897, and in the aftermath, the looted treasures made their way into museum collections around the world.) In addition, Switzerland also returned five other objects to Nigeria, including a bronze bracelet, that had been seized during criminal proceedings.

Unpacking at the National Museum in Lagos, Nigeria.

Per a joint release from museums, “The restitution follows several years of collaborative provenance research carried out under the Benin Initiative Switzerland, which showed that the objects were most likely looted from the Kingdom of Benin during the British attack in 1897. They would then have entered the art market and found their way into museums around the world. The ceremony also included the restitution of a bronze bracelet and four archaeological monoliths from Nigeria’s Niger Delta region seized in Switzerland as part of criminal proceedings and subsequently transferred to the state. Switzerland has now fulfilled its legal obligation to return them to their country of origin, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The ceremony at the National Museum in Lagos, Nigeria.

During a restitution ceremony held in Lagos, Switzerland’s Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and Nigeria’s minister of culture, Hannatu Musa Musawa “agreement on the transfer of cultural property, with the aim of combating the illicit trade in cultural property and protecting cultural heritage,” according to a release.

“We now bid them a fond farewell as they settle back in and reacquaint themselves with life back home,” University of Zurich Ethnographic Museum director Alice Hertzog said in her speech at the ceremony.

Top image: The relief plate depicts twin Ọba figures, wearing the ede’ivie (beaded crown), holding in their right hands the Ebẹn (ceremonial sword) while carrying the asa (elephant skin shields) and spears.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.