In a historic act of restitution, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston has returned two looted artifacts from the Benin Kingdom to His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, during a formal ceremony at the Nigeria House in New York City.
The artifacts — a 16th or 17th-century terracotta and iron Commemorative Head and a 16th-century bronze Relief Plaque — were looted by British forces during the infamous 1897 invasion of the Benin Kingdom. They had later passed through private collections before being donated to the MFA in 2013 and 2018.
The return was made to Prince Aghatise Erediauwa, representing the Oba, alongside Ambassador Samson Itegboje, and was facilitated by Dr. Arese Carrington, a member of the MFA’s Board of Advisors. Key diplomatic and cultural figures, including members of the Benin community in New York, attended the handover.
MFA Director Matthew Teitelbaum described the return as a “deeply meaningful event” that acknowledges the painful legacy of colonial plunder and the importance of cultural heritage. While the MFA has restituted these two items, it continues to investigate the provenance of three remaining Benin artifacts in its collection.
This move reflects growing global efforts to address colonial-era injustices and restore cultural property to its rightful origins.
