The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston has officially returned two significant artworks looted from the Kingdom of Benin during the 1897 British invasion.
The restitution took place during a formal ceremony at the Nigeria House in New York City, home to Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the Consulate General.
The returned artifacts include a 16th-century bronze Relief Plaque depicting two officials with raised swords and a Commemorative Head made of terracotta and iron, dated to the 16th or 17th century.
These culturally and spiritually significant pieces were handed over to His Royal Highness Prince Aghatise Erediauwa and Ambassador Samson Itegboje, representing His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II.
The repatriation was coordinated by Dr. Arese Carrington, a member of the MFA’s Board of Advisors, alongside Nigerian and MFA officials.
Attendees at the ceremony included Ambassador Abubakar Jidda, Nigeria’s Consul General in New York; Matthew Teitelbaum, MFA’s Director; Pierre Terjanian, Chief of Curatorial Affairs; and Victoria Reed, Senior Curator for Provenance. Members of the Benin community in New York were also present.
“This event is deeply significant,” said Dr. Carrington. “These artifacts are returning to their rightful place, where they hold both spiritual and cultural value.”
MFA Director Matthew Teitelbaum expressed the museum’s commitment to rightful restitution: “We’ve been the custodians of these works for 12 years, and it is truly rewarding to return them to their true home. We thank all our partners for making this moment possible.”
Both artifacts have well-documented links to the 1897 British looting of Benin. The Commemorative Head first appeared on the London art market in 1899, while the Relief Plaque was sold by a Crown Agent of the Niger Coast Protectorate in 1898.
They were both acquired by British collector Augustus Pitt-Rivers and later purchased by American collector Robert Owen Lehman, who donated them to the MFA in 2013 and 2018.
The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., will oversee the transfer, handling, and delivery of the artifacts to the Royal Court of Benin.
Three other Benin works remain in the MFA’s collection. Their provenance is uncertain, having passed through European and American markets in the late 20th century. The museum has confirmed that further research into their origins is ongoing.
