The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston will close its Benin Kingdom Gallery, but most objects displayed will not be returned to Nigeria. Instead, 29 out of 34 Benin Bronzes, taken during a colonial raid in 1897, will be returned to donor Robert Owen Lehman, who has claimed them back. Ongoing negotiations between the museum and Lehman stalled, leading to this decision. The museum's leaders highlight the ethical complexity regarding ownership and the broader implications of colonial acquisitions in the context of repatriation efforts from Nigeria.
"It's really not appropriate for us to bring them into the collection... But that means that we do not own them, and therefore we don't have control over them."
"We were trying to get to a point where the court could assume ownership, and we could ensure display... This was not the outcome anyone wanted."
Collection
[
|
...
]