In 2013, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, began exhibiting a collection of artifacts from the Kingdom of Benin, acknowledging that British soldiers had looted these items in 1897. The collection, which includes approximately 30 objects, was lent by collector Robert Owen Lehman Jr. with the understanding that they would eventually be donated to the museum.
The museum established a gallery for the Benin Bronzes, which featured information about the looting and invited the kingdom’s royal leader, the oba, to the opening. However, a new oba later contacted the museum, seeking ownership of the items, prompting discussions between the oba’s representatives and Lehman.
This week, the museum announced that nearly all of the items would be returned to Lehman. Museum director Matthew Teitelbaum expressed disappointment over the inability to reach a mutually agreeable resolution regarding the Benin Bronzes.
Between 2012 and 2020, Lehman donated five Benin objects to the museum, which are now part of its permanent collection. The museum stated it would continue to seek a resolution concerning the ownership and display of these items, which include two relief plaques and two commemorative heads.
The collection being returned to Lehman includes a notable 16th-century copper alloy sculpture of a warrior, a 19th-century staff topped with a bird figure, and a 17th-century double gong. The British removal of artifacts from Benin has prompted other institutions, including the Smithsonian, to return similar items as part of a broader movement within the art world to address colonial-era acquisitions.
Many museums have adopted guidelines for items from the colonial era, requiring them to investigate the restitution of artworks taken by imperial powers. The Museum of Fine Arts announced the closure of its Benin Kingdom Gallery this month, noting that many items in Lehman’s collection can be traced back to the 1897 British attack on Benin.
Ndubuisi C. Ezeluomba, an expert on the bronzes, remarked that there is increasing pressure on Western museums to return such artifacts. Lehman, a great-grandson of one of the founders of Lehman Brothers, has previously been involved in disputes over artworks, including a recent court case regarding a drawing by Egon Schiele.
Teitelbaum reflected on the efforts to find a resolution among the Kingdom of Benin, the museum, and Lehman, stating, “This was not the outcome anyone wanted.”