Boston Museum returns historic artworks to Oba of Benin

The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston has officially returned two historic artworks looted from the Kingdom of Benin during the 1897 British invasion.

The restitution ceremony was held at the Nigeria House in New York City, home to Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the Consulate General.

The repatriated items are a 16th-century bronze Relief Plaque of Two Officials with Raised Swords and a Commemorative Head made of terracotta and iron from the 16th or 17th century.

Both works were handed over to His Royal Highness Prince Aghatise Erediauwa and Ambassador Samson Itegboje, representatives of His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II.

The return was facilitated by Dr. Arese Carrington, a member of the MFA’s Board of Advisors, in partnership with Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., which will oversee their transfer to the Royal Court in Benin.

Among the dignitaries present were Ambassador Abubakar Jidda, Consul General of Nigeria in New York; Matthew Teitelbaum, MFA Director; Pierre Terjanian, MFA’s Chief of Curatorial Affairs; and Victoria Reed, the museum’s Senior Curator for Provenance.

Members of the Benin community in New York also attended the historic event.

“This is a meaningful and symbolic moment,” said Dr. Carrington.

“These pieces are returning to their true home, where they carry deep cultural and spiritual significance.”

“These artworks have been in our care for over a decade,” added MFA Director Teitelbaum.

“We are honored to return them to their rightful owner.

“This collaboration marks an important step in restorative justice and cultural responsibility.”

The two pieces were among many taken during the violent British raid on Benin City in 1897.

The Commemorative Head surfaced on the London art market in 1899 and was acquired by a British dealer, while the Relief Plaque was sold in 1898 by a Crown Agent of the former Niger Coast Protectorate.

Both were later purchased by British collector Augustus Pitt-Rivers and eventually acquired by American collector Robert Owen Lehman, who donated them to the MFA in 2013 and 2018.

Three additional Benin artifacts remain in the MFA’s collection, though their origins remain unclear.

They were acquired through European and American art markets in the latter half of the 20th century, and research into their provenance is still underway.