… receives 2 repatriated artifacts
The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, has stated that the federal government’s recognition of the Oba of Benin as the owner and custodian of all repatriated Benin artifacts has paved the way for the return of more.
The Oba made this disclosure at his palace when he received two artifacts repatriated from the University of Iowa. The artifacts, a hen and a plaque, were delivered by Dr. Cory Gundlach, Curator of African Arts at the Stanley Museum of Arts, University of Iowa, with Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the September 21, 2024 Edo governorship election, in attendance.
The Oba highlighted that, with the federal government gazette, the repatriated artifacts have been returned to their rightful place.
It should be recalled that the Federal Government of Nigeria officially recognized the Oba of Benin as the owner and custodian of all repatriated Benin artifacts. This was formalized in a presidential declaration and gazette issued on March 23, 2023. The gazette states that the ownership, custody, and management of the repatriated artifacts are vested exclusively in the Oba of Benin, to the exclusion of any other entities or individuals.
The artifacts, primarily known as the Benin Bronzes, were looted during the British expedition of 1897 and are considered some of the finest examples of Benin art. The decision by the Nigerian government to return these artifacts to the Oba aims to preserve and honor the cultural heritage of the Benin Kingdom.
This move also implies that all repatriated artifacts must be delivered to the Oba, who will collaborate with national and international institutions to ensure their custody.
The official custodian and owner of the repatriated Benin artifacts is the Oba of Benin, not the Edo State Government. This decision resolved the dispute between the Oba of Benin and the Edo State Government regarding the rightful custodian of these cultural artifacts.
The artifacts must be delivered to the Oba and can be kept within the Palace of the Oba or other locations within Benin City as determined by the Oba and the Federal Government.
According to Oba Ewuare II, the artwork is in the custody of the palace for the Benin people, describing the artifacts as part of the tradition and culture of the Benin people. While appealing to other museums across the world to begin the process of repatriating Benin artifacts in their custody, he also appealed to stakeholders to help preserve the tradition and culture of the people, which he added is too important to the global community.
He urged constituted authorities to reciprocate the respect that the traditional institution is according them. He disclosed that the palace is making many sacrifices to sustain the tradition and culture of society and prayed for God’s wisdom to attend to the needs of the people.
Earlier, Dr Cory said that this is the first time America University was returning looted Benin artifacts and however apologized for using the artifacts to lecture in his University.
