The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has returned two historic works of art looted from the Benin Kingdom in 1897 to the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba Ewuare II.

“The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), today returned two works of art from the Benin Kingdom to His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin, in a ceremony at the Nigeria House in New York City, which houses both the permanent mission of Nigeria to the United Nations and Consulate General of Nigeria,” said the Director of Marketing and Communications for the MFA, Karen Frascona, in an official statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, the handover was made to representatives of the Nigerian royal family and diplomatic corps.

“The works were presented to His Royal Highness Prince Aghatise Erediauwa and H.E. Ambassador Samson Itegboje of the Embassy of Nigeria. The National Commission for Museums and Monuments, working with the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., will take possession of these two works and coordinate their handling, care, transit to Nigeria, and delivery to the Oba of Benin”, Frascona continued.

She explained that the handover was overseen by key figures in the art and diplomatic communities, highlighting the global importance of the event.
mm“The transfer was coordinated and facilitated by Dr. Arese Carrington, a member of the MFA’s Board of Advisors. In addition to HRH Prince Aghatise Erediauwa, H.E. Ambassador Samson Itegboje and Dr. Carrington, the ceremony was attended by H.E. Ambassador Abubakar Jidda, Consul General of Nigeria, New York; Matthew Teitelbaum, the MFA’s Ann and Graham Gund Director; Pierre Terjanian, the MFA’s Chief of Curatorial Affairs and Conservation; and Victoria Reed, the MFA’s Senior Curator for Provenance. Some members of the Benin community in New York were also present to witness this return”, she stated.

In his remarks, the MFA’s director, Matthew Teitelbaum, expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to return the artworks to their rightful cultural home.

He noted that the two objects returned are steeped in the painful history of colonial plunder, stressing that their journey from the looting to restitution spans more than a century.