Museum Rietberg in Zurich has transferred ownership of 11 Benin Bronzes to the Nigerian government. The move forms part of a growing international effort to return artifacts taken during the colonial era.

The City of Zurich, which owns the museum, approved the transfer. Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) represents the country in the agreement.

However, the arrangement includes a special provision. Nine of the objects will remain in Switzerland even after ownership changes. They will stay on display at the museum as long-term loans.

“The Nigerian side was very interested in keeping the story of Benin art visible in Switzerland.”

Therefore, the agreement allows the artifacts to remain accessible to European audiences while restoring Nigeria’s legal ownership.

🗿 Sacred Objects Linked to Benin’s Royal Heritage

Among the returned works are two objects of major cultural significance. These include a commemorative bronze head from around 1850 and an 18th-century carved ivory tusk.

Historically, both objects formed part of royal ancestral shrines in Benin City, the historic capital of the Kingdom of Benin in present-day Nigeria.

British forces looted many such artifacts during the 1897 raid on Benin City. Afterward, collectors and dealers spread them across Europe and North America.

Over time, several of these objects entered the Rietberg Museum collection. For example, the ivory tusk passed through private collectors and a 1962 Sotheby’s sale before reaching Zurich decades later.

Meanwhile, the commemorative head originally belonged to the collection of German-Swiss banker Eduard von der Heydt, whose holdings helped form the museum’s early collection.

🤝 Research Initiative Led to Restitution Agreement

The transfer follows years of research under the Benin Initiative Switzerland (BIS). The initiative launched in 2021 and aimed to trace the origins of Benin objects held in Swiss museums.

Researchers examined dozens of artifacts across Swiss collections. Eventually, the project concluded that 55 objects likely relate to the 1897 colonial looting.

Consequently, Swiss institutions began working with Nigerian authorities to resolve ownership issues. The agreement with Museum Rietberg represents one of the outcomes of that collaboration.

Meanwhile, other European museums have also started returning Benin artifacts in recent years. These efforts reflect growing pressure to address colonial-era cultural dispossession.

🏛️ Ownership Returns While Global Access Continues

Under the new agreement, legal ownership of the 11 objects now belongs to Nigeria. However, most pieces will remain on view in Zurich as loans.

As a result, the arrangement balances restitution with international museum display. It also allows the history and artistic traditions of Benin to remain visible in European institutions.

The two most significant works, however, are expected to return physically to Nigeria, likely during the coming months.