Reclaiming Stolen Heritage:  The Case for Repatriating the Benin Bronzes to African-Americans

In 1897, British troops launched a military expedition in the Benin Kingdom of modern-day Nigeria.  They looted hundreds of thousands of sculptures, artworks, and religious symbols.  These artifacts were seized in the name of ethnography, ripping them from their rightful owners:  the descendants of the Benin Kingdom.  These artifacts found their way through the Western world, thousands of miles away from their origin.  As a result, the descendants of the Benin Kingdom lost connection to their culture, all at the hands of European powers.  

Today, these descendants are now scattered all over the world due to the Benin Kingdom’s role in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.  The Benin Kingdom was home to Ouidah, a coastal city known for its slave trade.  This trade was integral to the Benin Kingdom’s economy.  During the 18th century, slaves were ceaselessly bought and sold at this port, technically making them descendants of the Benin Kingdom.  More than 103,000 African slaves traveled through Ouidah, leading them to be stripped of their connection to West Africa and forcefully assimilated into American culture.  The looting of the Benin bronzes from the Benin Kingdom by British troops in 1897 was a grave injustice to the descendants of the kingdom.  These artifacts, seized under the guise of ethnography, were forcibly taken thousands of miles away from their rightful owners, severing the connection between the descendants and their cultural heritage.

African-Americans paid for the Benin bronzes with their blood and bodies.  This should be reflected in the restitution of the looted Benin bronzes to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C.  I am calling for the restitution of the Benin bronze, “Figure: Male Attendant”,  from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York City to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C.

This artifact is a looted Benin bronze.  It was previously on display in the Komor Gallery in New York City before it was transferred to Alice K. Bache, another private collector.  It is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art today as a bequest of Bache.

As a looted object from the British Expedition in 1897, it must be restituted to its rightful owner.  Restitution is critical, as letting looted art go unnoticed changes the narrative of the gruesome history behind its acquisition.  This deception positions European powers at the center of African art and culture, which furthers disconnects African descendants from their culture.  Equally important, this piece is derived from the 18th century, when the Benin Kingdom had become greatly involved in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.  As the Kingdom began to exchange slaves for manilla currency, it is evident that this Benin bronze came from the sacrifice of slaves.  Therefore, it belongs in the hands of African-Americans.

As Black people strive to connect to their history in modern-day America, nonprofit organizations are trying to ensure an equitable distribution of African artifacts.  Recently, I read an article about the Restitution Study Group suing the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. for repatriating twenty-nine Benin bronzes to Nigeria.  The Restitution Study Group stated that slaves were traded for the manilla currency that was used to make the Benin bronzes.  This lawsuit’s basis clarifies that slaves were inherently connected to the making of the Benin bronzes.  Descendants of slaves have every right to hold on to their culture.  African-Americans are directly linked to the Benin Kingdom, and restituting these objects to Nigeria would deny those of African descent from learning about and embracing their culture.

This article is a call for all museums to take accountability for the looted artifacts that sit inside of them; not only for the egregious history behind the artifacts, but for the museum’s role in defining who owns the artifacts today.  African-Americans are devastated because of colonialism:  they are modern-day victims of slavery and continue to suffer from its racism.  

The idea that people could be enslaved based on their racial status was purely European. The institution of slavery and racism that the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade established in the United States created a cycle of despair that continues to strip Black people of their cultural heritage.  European powers completely changed the world for Black people who need to be able to access all remnants of their culture left.  

Frequently, major Western museums face challenges when it comes to returning objects, particularly when the cultural group asserting ownership is not geographically connected to the group from which the objects were originally obtained.  For example, the Benin Kingdom fell centuries ago, and modern-day Nigerians are claiming ownership of these items.  As a response, these museums declare that these objects have nowhere to go.  This is not true.  While African-Americans and the descendants of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade represent many people of different heritages, all of these individuals are linked together through their shared oppression and experience of the institutionalized racism established by slavery.  Therefore, they are all racially linked together and have a significant claim to the Benin Kingdom and reparation for their struggle.  Descendants of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade have a right to their heritage because they are still connected to the Benin Kingdom through colonial violence.  

 As an African-American woman, my family history is unspeakable.  Descending from slavery, enduring legislative discrimination in the United States, and continuing to suffer under institutionalized racism make up a horrifying past filled with othering and shame.  With this discrimination, African-Americans are inevitably striving to reconnect with their past.  This reconnection means understanding exactly what we descended from, not just the evils committed before us, but, our African heritage.  

Another popular argument against repatriation is that access to cultural goods is a human rights issue, suggesting that there is a human right to a universal human heritage.  For example, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s mission statement states, “The Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across time and cultures to connect all people to creativity, knowledge, ideas, and one another.”   This statement acknowledges the significant role played by prominent Western museums in global cultures.  This mission statement centers Western museums, like the Met, as hubs of culture, effectively claiming that museums of the global South do not have the same effect.  This sentiment is patronizing: claiming that Western museums are assisting marginalized populations by restricting their access to cultural property reinforces the West as catalysts of modernism and culture, which is devastating to cultivating an inclusive global culture.

Still, these same museums hoard looted art, as the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. is burdened with the expectation of repatriating Benin bronzes that are currently held in storage.  This discrepancy in distribution highlights the inherent injustice of the current system. The transfer of the Benin bronzes disconnects African-Americans from their heritage, as the Metropolitan Museum of Art clings to looted art.  To ensure that African-Americans have unfettered access to their own culture, serious repatriation efforts must be undertaken.  

The Metropolitan Museum of Art must be held accountable for the looted artifacts collecting dust in their storage facilities, starting with the repatriation of the “Figure: Male Attendant” to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Like many African artifacts, the Benin bronzes are intricately woven into our history.  Therefore, this Benin bronze must be repatriated to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  Artifacts like this Benin bronze help shape our identity and culture.  Furthermore, African-Americans need accessibility to these objects to truly form, shape, and define this identity.  We deserve to control the narrative around our culture, despite how many times it has been centered around whiteness.  While our history is undoubtedly painful, it is time that African-Americans gain the means to represent their heritage, fully informed and ready to take charge, beginning with the repatriation of this Benin bronze.

In the light of the modern day, we are held to heightened moral obligations than in previous decades.  We have a chance to cultivate a culture that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable.  This is a time of rapid innovation, and, most of all, enlightenment.  Major Western museums are an immense influence on the global culture and are therefore morally obligated to make educated decisions that serve everyone.  

When museums hold onto looted art and take control of the narrative behind each piece, they rewrite the cultural significance that these works naturally have.  Museums must understand that cultural erasure is still discrimination, and must be actively combated.  When people are misinformed, history repeats itself.  People become trapped in a cycle of hierarchies and systemic oppression, effectively continuing discrimination.  The fact that these looted Benin bronzes sit in Western museums reinforces the idea that the West is the global cultural hearth, disconnecting Black people from their heritage.  It is simply a moral battle to fight for equality and inclusivity, and museums are at the forefront.

Equality and inclusivity include taking accountability for all discrimination.  When the British invaded the Benin Kingdom, they ignited the largest expatriation of African culture.  Cultural property is defined as “a unique, nonrenewable resource that is important for learning about the diversity of human history and cultures. Common types of cultural property include archaeological artifacts, rare manuscripts, and objects used in ceremonies.”  These Benin bronzes are central to African-American history, and therefore their cultural property.  

Every cultural group has a right to know and understand their heritage.  In a report written by Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr, two academics reporting on the crisis of looted art in the West, they state, “The rarity of this cultural heritage in its countries of origin is not only detrimental to the preservation of national cultures and various communities, but it risks damaging, in the long-term, the perspectives for the constitution of a prestigious museum offering bearing on economic development.  It is thus necessary to establish the means for a global reflection on the African collections conserved in France, the research into the provenance of these objects, and to determine a procedure, integrating scholarly objectives, for a process of restitution potentially bearing on a very large number of cultural objects.”  In this quote, they claim that cultural property and heritage must be recognized and properly researched.  The provenance and activism against looted art combined allow African-Americans to reconnect to their memory and cultivate a better understanding of colonial history.  Therefore, restitution serves to rewrite history with African-Americans in the center.  

Black people have a right to embrace the heritage that was stolen from them.  African-Americans have endured the horrors of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, holding a direct link to the Benin bronzes.  They have a rightful claim to these artifacts as a part of their legacy and as a means to embrace their stolen culture.  Without the Benin bronzes being easily accessible to African-Americans, they lose connection to their culture. 

Restitution is crucial to rectifying the narrative surrounding the acquisition of looted art, shedding light on the dark history of colonial violence and exploitation that underlies its acquisition.  By repatriating the Benin bronzes, the distorted narrative that places European powers at the center of African art and culture can be corrected.

The argument against repatriation based on the geographical disconnection between modern-day Nigerians and the Benin Kingdom is flawed.  African-Americans and the descendants of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade share a common history of oppression and institutionalized racism.  They are racially linked and have a strong claim to the Benin Kingdom and its cultural artifacts.  Repatriation efforts should be undertaken to ensure that African-Americans have access to their own culture, reconnecting them to their past, and shaping their identity.

Major Western museums, as influential curators of global culture, have a moral obligation to make informed decisions that serve everyone.  The hoarding of looted art by these museums perpetuates cultural erasure and discrimination, reinforcing the notion that the West is the global cultural hearth and disconnecting Black people from their heritage.  By actively combatting cultural erasure and taking accountability for past injustices, museums can contribute to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture that promotes equality and inclusivity for all.

Cultural property, such as the Benin bronzes, is a unique resource that is essential for understanding human history and diverse cultures.  Every cultural group has the right to know and understand their heritage.  Restitution of looted art, as highlighted by scholars like Savoy and Sarr, is necessary to preserve national cultures, promote economic development, and rewrite history with marginalized communities at the center.

For African-Americans, the repatriation of the Benin bronze “Figure: Male Attendant” from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to the National Museum of African American History and Culture represents a crucial step towards reclaiming their stolen heritage.  By repatriating the Benin bronzes, African-Americans can gain control over the representation of their culture, challenging the dominant narrative that has centered on Whiteness and perpetuated their marginalization.  

In this era of heightened moral obligations, it is imperative that major Western museums recognize the inherent injustice in holding onto looted art.  By acknowledging the importance of cultural property and taking responsibility for past discrimination, museums can contribute to a more just and inclusive society.  Restitution serves as a means to rectify historical wrongs, foster cultural understanding, and empower marginalized communities.  It is through these efforts that African-Americans can reconnect with their stolen heritage and forge a better future.

Thank you for your consideration.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art:  Fostering Cultural Connections and Ethical Accountability

Thank you for your time and research.  

This repatriation movement is one we hear often, and one we deeply consider.  These artifacts carry a brutal history and call us to be culturally sensitive at all times.  Over time, however, they became apart of the museum’s history.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a universal museum, meaning that it is a part of the “famous museums with collections of art and other cultural items from around the world, not just from the nation where they are located.”  We are providing a priceless context for these artifacts in our museums, as we extend a global outreach from our museum, and they properly reside in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

As a universal museum, we have the influence and resources to bring many cultures together for appreciation and education.  It is critical to remember that the artifacts that sit in museums do not only serve one nation but rather that they uplift all of us.  Each object brings a new story and a new lens to our museum, making us diverse and global.  Narrowing our focus would be an offense to each and every one of the three million annual visitors that become enriched in culture through our catalogue.  With the millions of people that travel to the museum every year, we have been able to cultivate a universal admiration for ancient civilizations.  With our collections being full of ancient art, we can share these invaluable pieces with a global public audience, uplifting our society.  

Regarding our obligations and responsibilities as a museum, we wholeheartedly believe that our collection should be well-researched and ethically stored.  As a result, we have adopted three guiding principles: “research, transparency, and collaboration.”  These principles are critical to how we cultivate a transparent environment.  Our goal is to create an open dialogue of cultures, which is why we offer an email address for our visitors to share their thoughts and information on every object page.  Part of what makes the Met so special is that we continue to add to our historical collection, therefore constantly adapting to our changing world in the light of repatriation movements gaining traction.  

Still, the Met is definitely open to repatriation.  We staunchly support the 1970 UNESCO Convention that established policies protecting cultural properties and made several voluntary restitutions of objects based on new research from our curatorial team.  We deeply value the digital age of research and awareness, and we strive to implement it in every part of the Met.  

We are trailblazers in this practice among universal museums.  Repatriation is often a struggle for other museums, like The British Museum.  The British Museum operates under the British Museum Act of 1963, meaning that “Under the act, the British Museum’s board of trustees is barred from returning any object in the collection unless it is a duplicate, physically damaged or “unfit to be retained the collection” and no longer of public interest, according to the museum’s deaccessioning policy.”  As a result, the British Museum has failed to adopt the same attitude toward repatriation that we practice and exert.  This discrepancy has left the Met as an example of transparency and accountability among universal museums.  As we have stated in the past, “The Met is committed to returning an object if newly discovered facts demonstrate that we do not have valid title.”  This statement has prompted further provenance research, aiming to establish validity within our collection.  This dedication is creating a positive development in the field.

Our job is to link many different cultures from around the world.  We practice this with honor, as it demands creative thinking around the complicated history of art.  Every piece in our collection has a story:  The Metropolitan Museum of Art is “dedicated to finding, sharing, and acting on these stories.”

In conclusion, the Metropolitan Museum of Art stands as a universal museum, providing a priceless context for artifacts from various cultures around the world.  These objects uplift all of humanity by offering new stories and perspectives.  With millions of annual visitors, the museum facilitates a diverse and global appreciation for ancient civilizations.  Embracing our obligations and responsibilities, the Met actively promotes research, transparency, and collaboration, fostering an open dialogue between visitors and curators.  We acknowledge the significance of the repatriation movement.  The museum's commitment to returning objects based on newly discovered facts demonstrates our dedication to accountability.  The Met sets an example for transparency and acts as a pioneer in the field of repatriation.  Ultimately, the Met's mission is to connect different cultures through art and to share the stories embedded within its collection, thereby enriching the collective knowledge and understanding of humanity.

Signed by the Directors of:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York