Bronzed off: should plundered art go back? (Benin artifacts)

From: The Economist (US) | Date: May 10, 1997 | Copyright information

Treasured African art objects seized by British forces while on a mission to Benin in 1897 are now in the hands of museums and private collectors throughout the world. A movement is underway to return the objects, though there is reluctance to negotiate with Nigeria's corrupt government.

A CENTURY ago the Benin bronze heads, along with intricately carved ivory tusks, adorned ancestral altars in the palace of the King of Benin, or "Oba". Ornate plaques depicting scenes of Benin court life lined the palace pillars and walls. Then in 1897 the British army stormed the palace and seized the ...

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