The bronzes will be shipped to Lagos in June and placed under the care of the Oba of Benin, with plans for a dedicated museum.
The Wereldmuseum in Leiden is returning 113 Benin Bronzes, looted from Nigeria more than 120 years ago during a British military expedition, marking a significant act of cultural restitution. Clad in protective gloves, museum staff carefully removed the bronzes from display, preparing them for shipment to Lagos in June.
The bronzes, stolen after British forces invaded Benin in retaliation for the killing of nine officers, have long been dispersed across European and American museums. Museum director Marieke van Bommel emphasized, “These don’t belong here. They were violently taken, so they need to go back.”
The Netherlands has agreed to return 119 bronzes in total, with Germany also repatriating items, while the British Museum continues to hold onto its collection citing legal restrictions. Returned pieces will be entrusted to the Oba, the traditional ruler of Benin, with plans for a new museum in Benin City. Van Bommel hopes the Dutch example will encourage other institutions to follow suit.