Boston, 6 August 2012
Following the recent donation of thirty-two African sculptures from collector Robert Owen to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Boston, Nigeria is now demanding the restitution of these bronze and ivory pieces which were illegally exported from the country by British soldiers in 1897.
Yusuf Abdallah Usman, General Director of the National Commission on Museums and Monuments in Nigeria, recently declared “During their expeditions, the British pillaged these works which they considered their spoils of war” before demanding “the return of these stolen works to their rightful owner, the Nigerian people (as stated on artinfo.com).
The MFA Boston was planning on exhibiting these sculptures, produced between the 15th and 19th centuries in the Benin Kingdom (situated to the South of Nigeria), in a new gallery devoted to Benin in late 2013.
Artinfo discloses a statement from museum spokesperson Karen Frascona: “The country hasn’t entered into contact with the institution and the Lehman donation isn’t legally attackable. We have examined the issue in depth and believe that MFA will be able to gain legal possession of these objects. The museum accepted this donation with knowledge of the cause and with the goal of presenting these works in parallel with the history of the Benin kingdom”.
It remains to be confirmed if Nigeria possesses the legal ownership rights to these objects.