Sweden has returned 39 Benin Bronzes and other cultural artefacts to Nigeria, 129 years after British forces looted thousands of valuable objects from the Benin Kingdom during the 1897 invasion.
The returned artefacts include copper-alloy castings, ivory sculptures and wood carvings, which were acquired by Sweden’s National Museum of Natural History in the years following the invasion.
The handover was facilitated by the State Museums of World Culture (SMVK), making Sweden the latest country to return looted Benin artefacts to Nigeria.
The development adds to growing international efforts by museums and cultural institutions to return artefacts taken from the Benin Kingdom during the British colonial invasion.
