Swiss authorities return 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in a handover ceremony at the National Museum in Lagos. The objects are part of the Benin Bronzes collection—courtly and religious artworks originally from the Kingdom of Benin (now in Nigeria) that were looted during the colonial period and are held in museums and private collections abroad. According to multiple outlets, the restitutions come from three Swiss institutions: the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich, Museum Rietberg Zurich, and the Musée d’Ethnographie de Genève. The returned items are described as among the thousands of objects collectively known as the Benin Bronzes. The transfer is presented as another step in Nigeria’s longer-running efforts to repatriate cultural heritage taken during colonial rule. The bronzes delivered on Monday become part of Nigeria’s expanding collection of returned artefacts, with officials framing the event as part of a broader trend across African countries seeking restitution of artworks removed during colonial conflicts and occupations.
Swiss museums return 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Swiss authorities return 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in a handover ceremony at the National Museum in Lagos. The objects are part of the Benin Bronzes collection—courtly and religious artworks origina...
- Swiss museums return 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.
- The handover takes place at the National Museum in Lagos.
- Three Swiss institutions are involved: the University of Zurich’s Ethnographic Museum, Museum Rietberg Zurich, and the Musée d’Ethnographie de Genève.
- The returned items come from the Benin Bronzes, a large collection of artworks originally from the Kingdom of Benin.
- The return is part of Nigeria’s and other African countries’ broader restitution efforts for colonial-era looting.
Three Swiss museums—the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich, Museum Rietberg Zurich, and Musée d’Ethnographie de Genève—have collectively returned eighteen courtly and religious objects from the Republic of Benin (now Nigeria). All of the returned items are among the Benin Bronzes: a priceless collection of thousands of artworks which were looted from the ancient […]
1 month agoThree Swiss museums have returned 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, a new step in the African's country decades-long struggle to repatriate its looted cultural heritage.
1 month agoSwiss authorities on Monday returned 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in a ceremony at the National Museum in Lagos, the latest addition to the nation's growing collection of repatriated treasures. The post Switzerland returns famed Benin Bronzes to Nigeria appeared first on Vanguard News.
1 month agoSwiss authorities on Monday returned 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in a ceremony at the National Museum in Lagos, the latest addition to the nation’s growing collection of repatriated treasures. Countries across Africa have been pushing in recent years for the restitution of artefacts and artworks taken during the colonial period – including Nigeria’s famed Benin Bronzes, which were looted as spoils of war by the British and today are scattered in museums and private collections across the...
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