Sweden is preparing to return cultural objects from the historic Kingdom of Benin to Nigeria and a Kallawaya collection to Bolivia. The Bolivian group contains 77 objects, including human remains, destined for the Archaeological Museum in La Paz. The decisions concern heritage removed from different communities, with the Benin holdings linked to the British looting of 1897.
Arts··Midday
Returns to two countries
Sweden is preparing to return cultural objects to Nigeria and Bolivia. The decisions cover material from the historic Kingdom of Benin and a collection belonging to Bolivia’s Kallawaya people, including human remains.[1], [2]
Nigerian media reported that a delegation from the Benin Palace was expected to receive the artworks in Lagos, Nigeria. Oba Ewuare II, the Benin monarch, described the effort to recover the dispersed heritage as work carried forward from his father and grandfather. Since taking the throne, he has advocated the return of objects held by museums and private collectors.[1]
Objects dispersed after 1897
The material known collectively as the Benin Bronzes includes bronze sculptures, ceremonial objects and ivory carvings. British forces looted roughly 5,000 royal and religious objects during an expedition in 1897 through what is now Nigeria. The works subsequently entered collections around the world. Institutions in the United States, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland have returned Benin objects in recent years.[1]
The Kallawaya collection
The Bolivian transfer involves 77 objects intended for the Archaeological Museum in La Paz, Bolivia. The human remains had been taken out of Bolivia illegally and held by Sweden’s World Culture Museum. Sweden announced the transfer of ownership of the collection in 2023; the latest decision concerns its return.[1]
