The Nigerian arts and political scene have been upbeat concerning the completion of transfer of two Benin bronze plaques and an Ife bronze head from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Nigeria.
The two bronze plaques were looted from the Benin Royal Palace during the infamous 1897 expedition and repatriated to Nigeria in 1951. Without being deaccessioned, these works reentered the art market from the National Museum in Lagos, where they were acquired by an art dealer who later donated them to the MET, as the Metropolitan Museum is popularly called.
Many other Benin bronze plaques are on display in museums around the world. In Nigeria, the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) at Pan-Atlantic University in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, displays one of such plaques, among other Benin objects, in its Mirroring Man exhibition, showing presently.
This is by all means great news, and with good reason. It signifies an intent of commitment on the part of Western (mainly European and American) institutions to better exercise transparency and responsibility in the collection of cultural objects.
It also affords their governments an opportunity to rebuild cultural relations between Western and African nations, largely marked by violent colonial pasts. These cultural relations generate political goodwill which could potentially set the tone for beneficial economic relations.
This is a clear indicator of progress in the over-a-decade long work of the Benin Dialogue group and an acknowledgement the effectiveness of culture (of which the arts form a part) as a tool for soft diplomacy.
The significance of these partnerships is evident for the Western nations and institutions currently in possession of illegally taken cultural property. What remains unclear is the long-term significance for the recipient communities.
In the short term, these works will be reunited with their original communities; objects which formed an important aspect of their collective identity. In addition to ritual and utilitarian purposes, some of these objects documented people and events and were thus a store of memory in addition to verbal modes of knowledge sharing. This ‘memory loss’ created by the looting of these objects in part contributed to the stunted cultural development of the affected communities.
Temples and pyramids in honour of their ancient deities and rulers mark the Greek and Egyptian landscapes respectively and are vital to their tourism industries, particularly in the case of Greece.
In the case of the Benin Kingdom, these elements of identity were forcefully taken, along with their systems of government. The importance of their return thus goes without saying.
In the context of their long-term significance, however, the return of these objects raises questions regarding their place in society.
Will the returned works be deployed to their original functions? Perhaps not, at least not in cases where those functional roles cease to exist. Until 2017, when Hellenism was officially recognised as a religion by the Greek government, Hellenic deities in whose honour ancient Greek temples were built were not worshipped for many centuries.
Egypt has been an Islamic nation for over 10 centuries and its monarchy has been abolished since 1953. In both cases, their ancient temples had to be repurposed. The suitability of these returned objects to their original roles is well worth considering. Or perhaps they could serve a much more meaningful purpose in our present reality.
Even more important than the repatriation of objects is the restoration of the stories connected to these objects. In mid-2021, The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art in collaboration with Five Cowries Art Education Initiative developed Igodomigodo: Then, now and the future, an extracurricular school programme focused on engaging senior secondary school students in Lagos State on Benin History through the museum’s collection of Benin Artworks.
Owing to the absence of history classes in secondary institutions of learning, this programme was aimed at redressing the narratives created around Benin objects that highlighted the military and political might of the colonial powers, thus reflecting a dependence of these communities on their colonial masters as opposed to the ideals and culture of a people.
Such programmes, as Igodomigodo, should strive to tell these stories as they were; not reconstructed into fiction, but put in their original context as much as is possible. The aim is not merely to restore the stories for their own sakes, but to restore the cultural sophistication, ideals and sense of belonging identified with the people. As was expected, this programme has been largely successful and will be extended to reach a wider audience with increased support. Key to its success is the presence of a state-of-the-art facility, relevant objects in the YSMA collection, technical and financial support of the Lagos State Ministry of Education and private sector organisations, respectively.
Returning these artworks is a commendable first step in the right direction. The decision to build an Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) and a Research Institute in the city of Benin to display, conserve, store and advance research aimed at restoring the stories contained in these objects is a second step. But there needs to be more. While the topic of repatriation from one nation to another is largely a political discussion, the decolonisation of these objects upon return should not be one.
Research, exhibitions, and programmes derived from these objects should be used in engaging diverse audiences, thus advancing knowledge and national cohesion. The relevance of said knowledge and its mode of presentation is crucial. Audience segments should be engaged according to their preferences and the success of such engagement initiatives will depend on a multidisciplinary approach to their implementation. Here, the performance arts could be crucial.
The success of these activities will depend largely on the effective collaboration of all relevant stakeholders: artists, museum professionals, educational institutions, mass media and educational policy makers, etc. It will very importantly depend on the financial and technical support of individuals, governmental and non-governmental organisations, private institutions and a clearly defined mission of service to society that must be followed through to its execution.
For the above to be accomplished, the returned objects need to remain in the possession of their host community. The economic value of Benin Bronzes is common knowledge and a precedence has been set in Nigeria for selling returned artworks without their deaccession. Widespread poverty and largely weak institutional cultures do not particularly inspire confidence in the safety of these artworks upon return. Thus, ignoring the possibilities of having these works reentering the art market will be, to say the least, naïve. The resale of these objects will render futile all attempts at retelling the stories in connection with these objects and their communities.
Security control measures to protect these objects must be taken seriously. Structures housing these objects should adopt integrated security systems comprising alarm systems / response organisation, CCTV, guards, visitor policies, display layout and routing through the building, all of which ensure that the museum does not shut its doors but is open in a responsible manner. To achieve this, caretakers of these objects need to possess a deep-seated sense of responsibility towards the protection of these objects and see beyond their economic value to their relevance as recovered documents which could be useful in reshaping the identity of a people.
FBI statistics suggest that between 70 to 80 percent of all solved theft cases involve some form of insider participation. Institutions responsible for the care of these objects should prioritise responsible recruitment practices as the most comprehensive security strategy will only be as effective as its administrators. It is also important for individual and institutional collectors to exercise thorough due diligence in establishing provenance for prospective acquisitions.
The successful implementation of the above strategies will be important contributors to cultural and economic growth that affect such other sectors as hospitality, entertainment and tourism. Many steps have been taken in the right direction and this is great for all parties involved. Critically considering the presentation and safety of these objects will ensure that these collaborative efforts will be mutually beneficial for all stakeholders. The objectives are quite clear for institutions and governments making these restitutions. For the receiving communities, what happens post-restitution may have farther reaching consequences than its preceding events. The hard work begins now.
Oseghale is the manager Yemisi Shyllon Museum-Pan Atlan University
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