British university to return Benin Bronze to Nigeria 'within weeks'

Story by Reuters

Updated 1210 GMT (2010 HKT) March 25, 2021

Thousands of objects taken from the Kingdom of Benin in an 1897 expedition are now found in around 160 museums -- and many more private collections -- around the world. This brass leopard was bought by the UK's Pitt Rivers Museum in 1899, and is now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Photos: Cultural herirage looted from the Kingdom of Benin
Thousands of objects taken from the Kingdom of Benin in an 1897 expedition are now found in around 160 museums -- and many more private collections -- around the world. This brass leopard was bought by the UK's Pitt Rivers Museum in 1899, and is now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
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Within months of the raid, some of the Benin Bronzes were on display at the British Museum, which today still holds the largest collection. The bronzes are considered to be some of the finest African artworks ever created, with single pieces selling for millions of dollars.
Photos: Cultural herirage looted from the Kingdom of Benin
Within months of the raid, some of the Benin Bronzes were on display at the British Museum, which today still holds the largest collection. The bronzes are considered to be some of the finest African artworks ever created, with single pieces selling for millions of dollars.
Hide Caption
2 of 15