Some may say it is too late. Some others will argue that it is better late than never. Once the foundation stone has been set, the remaining work looks easier to enforce, even though issues can still emerge on the way. Lately, the Netherlands decided to return 100 sculptures to Nigeria. The beginning of something wider?
This Wednesday, February 19, the Netherlands announced that they would restore about 100 masterpieces to Nigeria. These sculptures are called Beninese bronzes. They used to be plundered by the British soldiers in the end of the nineteenth century. After the plunder, the sculptures were kept in a Dutch museum.
In 1897, a few British soldiers stole these masterpieces which had been created between the sixteenth century and the eighteenth century by the Edo people. The Edo people used to live in the former kingdom of Benin, which is now located in Nigeria. The sculptures stand for animals, characters of the royal court and other symbols of the Edo culture.
“Thanks to this restitution, we contribute to fix an historical injustice which is still felt today”, the Dutch minister of Culture Eppo Bruins asserted. After the stealing, the sculptures of the Edo people were sold and exhibited at Wereldmuseum of Leiden, in the Netherlands.
The total amount of sculptures that will be returned to Nigeria is 113. Nigeria is hoping that this is just the first step of a wider trend for Africa. In 2022, Germany started to give back to Nigeria a few masterpieces from the past. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to return treasures: the British Museum in London refused to return some treasures to Africa because of a law that dates back to 1963. That law prevents the museum from returning masterpieces.
by Guillaume Mahot