Boston's Museum of Fine Arts Returns Looted Benin Artworks to Oba Ewuare II

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has returned two looted artworks from the Benin Kingdom, which were taken in 1897, to the current Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba Ewuare II. 

The MFA's Director of Marketing and Communications, Karen Frascona,  announced the return in a statement, noting that the handover took place during a ceremony at the Nigeria House in New York City, which serves as Nigeria's permanent mission to the UN and its Consulate General.

The works were given to representatives from the Nigerian royal family and the diplomatic corps, including His Royal Highness Prince Aghatise Erediauwa and H.E. Ambassador Samson Itegboje from the Nigerian Embassy.

The National Commission for Museums and Monuments will oversee the care, transit, and delivery of these pieces to Nigeria.

Frascona emphasized the significance of the event, which was attended by key figures from the art and diplomatic communities.

Matthew Teitelbaum, the MFA’s director, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to return the artworks to their cultural origins while highlighting the long history of plunder associated with them.

The returned items include a terracotta and iron Commemorative Head, dating back to the 16th or 17th century, and a bronze Relief Plaque from the 16th century.

The Commemorative Head was last seen in the London art market in 1899 and was acquired by various dealers, while the Relief Plaque was sold in 1898 by the Crown Agent of the Niger Coast Protectorate, whose military conducted the notorious attack on Benin.

These artifacts eventually joined the collections of private and public collectors in Europe before being included in the MFA’s holdings. They were originally acquired for the Pitt-Rivers Museum in England, which closed in the 1960s, after which the pieces were dispersed.

Robert Owen Lehman collected and donated them to the MFA between 2013 and 2018. Although the museum has returned these two artworks, three other pieces from the Benin Kingdom remain in its collection, with uncertain provenance tracing back to the European and American art markets of the late 20th century. Ongoing research is being conducted on these items.