The municipality of Rotterdam will restore six additional items that were taken in Britain’s raid in the late 1800s, in addition to the 113 bronzes on exhibit at the Wereldmuseum (World Museum) in Leiden.
More than 100 Benin Bronzes that were taken by British forces in the late 19th century and wound up in a Dutch museum were being returned to Nigeria, according to the Netherlands.
The antique sculptures, which featured animals and regal figures, were taken from the Kingdom of Benin in present-day Nigeria by British forces in the late nineteenth century.
Following the kingdom’s assault, figurines found their way into collections and museums in both Europe and the US.
The municipality of Rotterdam will return six additional items that were taken during Britain’s raid, in addition to the 113 bronzes on exhibit at the Wereldmuseum (World Museum) in Leiden.
Nigeria has spent years advocating for the restoration of the bronzes.
According to Olugbile Holloway, Director-General of the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, the 119 artifacts will be the largest single repatriation “of Benin antiquities directly linked to the 1897 British punitive expedition” on Wednesday.
Dutch Culture, Education, and Science Minister Eppo Bruins stated, “With this return, we are helping to redress a historical injustice that is still felt today.”
“We hope that this will be a good example… for other countries worldwide,” Holloway said in a statement.
Germany started sending objects from its Benin Bronze collections back to Nigeria in 2022.
But none of the renowned collection has been returned by the British Museum in London. The museum is officially unable to return the items due to a 1963 law.
