Cambridge and Oxford ‘to return Benin Bronzes’

OXFORD and Cambridge universities will return looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria within months, according to museum authorities in the country.

The Nigerian government has been demanding the return of the sculptures, which were taken by British forces in an 1897 raid on Benin City, before ending up in museums around the world.

Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum and Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology were contacted by the director of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Prof Abba Isa Tijani, who said institutions were now “ready to repatriate”.

The Times has reported that Cambridge will be ready to return its 160 pieces “in July”, and that Oxford could repatriate its 97 pieces by October.

The museums are among an increasing number of institutions moving to repatriate the artworks, which decorated the royal palace in Benin City, now in Nigeria. Despite their name, they are largely made of brass.

The British Museum has 900 Benin Bronzes, but legislation prevents items being removed from its collection.