Iowa museum makes history by returning looted bronzes to Benin
Two statues have been returned to the Oba of Benin in a historic first for art museums in the United States.
On July 15th, a ceremony at the Benin palace in Nigeria reunited two pieces of art with their home country of Benin. The Stanley Museum of Art, which is part of the University of Iowa, returned the works to the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.
British colonial soldiers stole swathes of artwork from the region during a massacre in 1897, which have been displayed in Western museums since. This included the two bronze statues, which have now been returned to a descendent of the Oba they were stolen from.
This marks the first time that artwork stolen from this period has been directly returned to its owner by a museum in the States. In a statement given to Nigerian media, as quoted by The African Report, the Oba shared his hopes that this will encourage other museums to do the same.
“I hope the other museums in America will follow this,” he shared, noting the meaning of many artefacts that currently reside in the States.
The director of the Stanley Museum of Art, Lauren Lessing, also shared a statement regarding the return of the artefacts, sharing her hopes that the decision will set a “precedent” for other museums.
She has also addressed whether or not they will remain available to the public and reiterating their belonging to the Oba. “It is not my job to tell people what to do with their own possessions,” she began, as quoted by The Art Newspaper, “The two works of art restituted were stolen from the Oba of Benin in 1897, and they belong to him.”
Lessing went on to suggest that museums who are keen to display the artefacts should ask the Oba. “The best way for museums to ensure that the public can see these works in the future is to approach the Oba,” she stated, “as they would any other potential lender, and ask.”
The director did suggest that the Oba plans to allow the art to be put on public display, stating that he “intends to lend these important works to museums around the world and I have no reason to doubt him.” Still, she reiterated his right to decline public display.
“Ultimately, however, he has the right to say yes to loan requests and he also has the right to say no,” Lessing concluded.
While nothing is set in stone, the ceremony could possibly mark a long-awaited moment of change, and may lead to more pieces of artwork being returned to their rightful owners.
