US returns African bronzes stolen by British colonial forces

A bronze sculpture of a West African king that had been in the collection of a Rhode Island museum for more than 70 years was among 31 culturally precious objects that have been returned to the Nigerian government.

The sculpture, called the “Head of a King” or “Oba”, from the Rhode Island School of Design Museum (RISD) was among the objects transferred to the Nigerian National Collections during a ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC on Tuesday.

The Benin Bronzes were stolen in 1897 when British colonial forces ransacked and looted the Benin kingdom, which is now in modern-day Nigeria.

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