University cockerel is going back to Africa
College relents in Empire row
Cambridge University has agreed to return a bronze cockerel looted from africa in the 19th century.
Known as a benin bronze, it was snatched by british colonial forces and donated to Jesus College in 1905 by the father of a student.
The college’s unprecedented step follows a campaign by students against the ‘spoils of war’.
it will be one of the first bronzes to be returned to Nigeria by a major institution since thousands were stolen during an expedition in 1897. The piece was removed from public view in march 2016 after students protested that it celebrated a ‘colonial narrative’.
The college then opened a discussion with the benin dialogue group, a collective of artists and museum representatives who meet to discuss the bronzes.
Jesus College yesterday confirmed the sculpture will be returned home, although no specific date has been named.
it said: ‘Following interim recommendations from our legacy of slavery working party, Jesus College has decided that a benin bronze statue of a cockerel will be returned, and that we will acknowledge and contextualise Tobias rustat’s role in our history.’
rustat was one of the college’s largest benefactors and an investor in trading operations, including the royal african Company, which dealt in slaves. He died in 1694.
Sonita alleyne, master of Jesus College, said: ‘after thorough investigation into the provenance of the benin bronze and rustat’s investment in the slave trade our job is to seek the best way forward.’
Victor ehikhamenor, a Nigerian artist and member of the benin dialogue group, told The guardian: ‘No matter how small the gesture may look, it is a huge step toward the realisation of restitution of the works from the benin Kingdom that were looted by the british. i hope other europeans, especially british institutions, will follow without any excuses or delays.’
dan Hicks, a professor of archaeology at the Pitt rivers museum in Oxford who is also a representative of the benin dialogue group, said: ‘We have reached a tipping point in our national dialogues about the cultural restitution of objects looted under british colonialism.’
Last week, manchester museum became the first UK institution to return ceremonial items to australian aboriginal groups.