Looted Treasures In Western Museums: Tales Of African Stolen Artefacts
The argument over returning stolen artefacts is of a sensitive nature and has raised a lot of attention in recent years. There are those who argue that the artefacts which were mostly uprooted during colonial periods represent an important part of a country’s cultural, spiritual and historical heritage and should be returned to their rightful place. While others argue that it was legal at the time when the artefacts were removed, (spoils of war) and they are now an important part of the world’s cultural history, so they should be preserved and made readily accessible for all to see and learn from.
In the recurring clamour for the return of stolen artefacts to their countries of origin, one question remains unanswered, ‘who has a legitimate claim?’
African Stolen Artefacts and their Origin
Benin Bronzes – Nigeria, West Africa
The Benin Bronzes carved out of ivory, brass, ceramic and wood, record the history of the Kingdom of Benin. In the late 1800s, the Benin Bronzes were stolen from the royal palace of the Oba, Ovonramwem Nogbaisi, in the Kingdom of Benin, which soon became a part of British-ruled Nigeria.
In 1897, the British wanted to establish trade routes and gain control over Benin’s rich natural resources (palm oil and rubber). When a group of Benin warriors attacked and killed several British officials on their way to pay the Oba a diplomatic visit, the British retaliated by sending thousands of soldiers to invade Benin. Documents from colonial records reveal that Benin participated in slave trading and barbaric acts such as human sacrifices. The British soldiers set Benin city ablaze, and thousands of artefacts were looted from the royal palace and its environs. The loot was auctioned off to private collectors and galleries across the West.
The Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone was the first ancient Egyptian bilingual text discovered in the 19th century, and now resides in the British Museum. The inscription on the stone is three versions of a decree issued in Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC, during the Ptolemaic dynasty, on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes.
By © Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0,
The Rosetta Stone was found around the Nile Delta in 1799 by French officer, Pierre-Francois Bouchard. After the British defeated the French, they took the stone to London under the Capitulation of Alexandria in 1801. The Egyptian government has requested the return of the Rosetta Stone, which is a vital part of the country’s cultural heritage.
Bangwa Queen – Cameroon, Central Africa
In Fontem, a village in Cameroon, the Bangwa Queen was discovered between 1897-1898. The Bangwa Queen is an ancient object that is sacred and of spiritual importance to the Bangwa, a group of people indigenous to the western part of Cameroon. She was acquired by the Germans.
The Maqdala Treasures – Ethiopia, East Africa
The Maqdala treasures are a collection of Ethiopian artefacts that were taken during a British military expedition in the 19th century. The Ethiopian government has called for the return of these treasures, which include religious manuscripts, gold and silver crosses, and other items, arguing that they are a vital part of the country’s cultural heritage and should be returned to their rightful owners.
The Fate of the Stolen Artefacts
One argument in favour of returning stolen artefacts is that they hold significant cultural and historical value to their countries of origin. The continued absence of the artefacts creates a vacuum of knowledge, which inhibits the country’s ability to understand and preserve its own history.
Several campaigns have been carried out by various interest groups for the return of the stolen artefacts to their original owners.
In recent years, there have been efforts to return items like the Benin Bronzes back to Nigeria. The Benin Dialogue Group, as well as an independent body—The Legacy Restoration Trust—have worked tirelessly to drive negotiations with foreign museums to facilitate the return of the artefacts.
The campaigns to get them returned were not entirely unsuccessful for several years. Unlike France and Germany, where new laws were enacted to enable the return of the artefacts, the British Museum Act 0f 1963, and the National Heritage Act of 1983 prevented British Institutions from doing the same, and the United Kingdom refused to succumb to the pressure.
The resistance to the return of the Benin Bronzes took a turn, and discussions gradually progressed when the British accepted to return them on a loan basis. The Nigeria National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), made claims that the Nigerian government was establishing a new museum for the returns.
Kenyans have doubled down on their quest for the return of Kenyan Collections in Western Museums in a three-part exhibition series titled Invisible Inventories—an exhibition project of the International Inventories Programme (IIP). The series, which was more than two years in the making, started in Nairobi on the 17th of March 2021 to the 30th of May 2021, moved on to Cologne from the 27th of May 2021 to the 29th of August 2021, and it was concluded in Frankfurt from the 5th of October 2021 to 9th January 2022.
The data collected by the IIP project was a digital artefact listing 32,321 objects from 30 institutions in seven countries. As reported by The Nest Collective, “For a Kenyan collective with Kenyan members, this is data about objects that were presumably subtracted from us as a people, even as we also consider the violence inherent in any definition of our ancestors as “Kenyans” via the drawing of arbitrary lines by a marauding gang of brutal colonialists. The effect of this subtraction on our cultural, societal and personal histories—understandably—affects how we enter these processes as arguably aggrieved parties.”
A Tug Of War With The Descendants of Slaves
There are also those who argue that the stolen artefacts are an important part of the world’s cultural history and should be preserved as such for all to have access to. These artefacts often provide valuable insights into the history and culture of different societies, and their loss could have significant consequences for our understanding of the past.
For example, descendants of slaves in the US have come out to lay claims over some of Africa’s most valuable artefacts that were stolen during the colonial era and are housed in Western museums. Their argument follows their shared cultural and historical heritage as descendants of slaves in America and that the return of the stolen artefacts will deprive them of the opportunity to partake of their culture and history. Additionally, many argue that these artefacts are often better cared for and preserved in museums and other institutions, where they can be protected from the elements and other forms of damage.
Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, an African-American, is the founder and executive director of the Restitution Study Group (RSG) and according to the BBC, the group has filed a lawsuit to stop the return of some Benin Bronzes from the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC to Nigeria.
The founder of RSG stands by what she believes is “giving the descendants of the people traded for these manillas, a right to see the bronzes where they live,” instead of “travelling to Nigeria to see them” as she doesn’t want to be kidnapped.
Some members of the Nigerian-American community have pointed out that Farmer-Paellmann’s claim is yet another version of Afro-pessimism. As of today, the Smithsonian Museum of African Art has transferred ownership of 20 artefacts to Nigeria, while nine more remain on loan to the museum.
In time, the decision on whether to return stolen artefacts to their countries of origin is a complex and delicate one, with valid arguments on both sides of the debate. While it is important to recognize and respect the cultural and historical heritage of different nations, it is also important to ensure that these artefacts are protected and preserved for future generations. Maybe the best way to address this issue is to have a balanced approach that takes into account the interests of all parties involved. This could involve returning some artefacts to their countries of origin, while also working with these countries to establish mutual partnerships and collaborations that allow for the preservation and study of these items in a way that benefits all parties involved.
REFERENCES
BBC: Why slave descendants want the Benin Bronzes to stay in US
Aljazeera: Stealing Africa: How Britain looted the continent’s art
BBC: A Guide to Africa’s ‘Looted Treasures’
Cambridge Core: The Bangwa Queen: Artifact or Heritage?
