new video loaded: The Conflict Over Nigeria’s Returned Treasures Western museums are returning the Benin Bronzes — priceless items looted during colonialism — to Nigeria, but political infighting has jeopardized the ability to display and maintain the masterpieces. Our reporter, Alex Marshall, traveled to Nigeria to see some of the Bronzes. By Alex Marshall, Stephen […]
Uncertainty surrounds the fate of the highly anticipated Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) in Benin City, Nigeria. The museum’s inception was initially tied to the restitution of the Benin Bronzes; when plans for the new state-of-the-art institution were first revealed in 2020, the museum was promoted as the “most comprehensive display [of Benin Bronzes] […]
Dutch museum removes ‘priceless’ Benin Bronzes for return to Nigeria (Photo: AFP) Clad in protective blue surgical gloves, a Dutch museum worker gingerly unhooks a precious decorative artefact before gently laying it down on a pillow and wrapping it in dozens of layers of special paper.The artefact is a “Benin Bronze”, a priceless cultural object […]
