University of Cambridge transfers ownership of 116 artefacts deemed to have been looted from Benin in 1897 to the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

The University of Cambridge has transferred the ownership of 116 artefacts deemed to have been looted from Benin in 1897 to the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, according to a press release issued on 8 February 2026. Most of the objects are expected to be returned to Nigeria in the coming year, although seventeen will remain in Cambridge on loan for three years, remaining on display in the university's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Small bronze high relief figure of a warrior. Probably part of a pendant. University of Cambridge.

The Kingdom of Benin dates back to at least the twelfth century, and covered much of what is now southwest Nigeria. The Oba (King) of Benin ruled from his capital, Edo, which (slightly confusingly) is now the modern city of Benin in Edo State, Nigeria. By the 1890s the Benin had become a major exporter of Palm oil to British traders on the Niger Delta, but in 1896, following a dispute over taxes, the Oba of Benin cut off this supply of oil. The Acting Consul-General of the Protectorate of Nigeria, James Robert Phillips, drew up plans to invade the state and overthrow the Oba, but these were rejected by the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Salisbury. Instead, Philips dispatched an expedition to 'negotiate' with the Oba, which included 250 soldiers and a pipe band. This force was interpreted as an invasion by the Iyase (commander in chief of the army) of Benin, who dispatched a force to intercept the party. The two forces met at Ughoton, with the British force being defeated and the majority of its leaders either killed or captured.

This was used by Philips to justify a much larger 'punitive' expedition, under the command of Rear-Admiral Harry Rawson. On 9 February 1897 Rawson invaded Benin with a force of 1200 heavily armed soldiers and marines, with the city of Edo falling on 18 February. The city was subsequently looted of its rich artwork, with individual soldiers, sailors and marines stripping not just the royal palaces and major temples of the city, but also smaller shrines and the homes of individual citizens. These artefacts were subsequently shipped back to the UK, and disposed of as their new owners saw fit, either being sold privately to museums or collectors, or retained as mementos of the expedition. 

A brass penannular bracelet decorated with heavy slanting bands. University of Cambridge.

The university of Cambridge holds about 470 items from Benin (collectively, often known as 'Benin Bronzes' although this is a little misleading, as none of the items are made of bronze; many metal objects are made of brass, but items made from wood, ivory, and over materials are also lumped under this description). Some of these were donated by family members of people who had been involved in the expedition, but many more were obtained either from the auction house J.C. Stevens, which held a major auction of items from Benin in June 1902, or via the ethnographic dealer and collector William Downing Webster, who made a speciality of dealing in these items. The majority of the items held by the university, however, were donated later in the twentieth century, making it harder to determine their exact provenance. 

The ethnographic dealer and collector William Downing Webster with a collection of carved Elephant tusks. Despite the huntsman-like pose, Webster is not recorded as ever having visited Africa, but travelled widely in the UK, contacting soldiers who had taken part in the sacking of Benin in order to purchase items from them, which he then sold on to museums across Europe. Wikimedia Commons.

In 2017 the university hosted a meeting of the Benin Dialogue Group, which had been set up in 2007 by a consortium of European museums in combination with the Government of Nigeria and the Royal Court of Benin, with a view to building a museum in Benin to house the artefacts looted from the city, at which it was agreed, at least in principle, that the university would consider returning the objects it held to Nigeria. 

In 2019 the university formally adopted a commitment by the to return artefacts to their countries' of origin when they appeared to have been removed illegally, which has also seen items returned to Uganda and Australia. Since when a number of visits have been made to Nigeria by staff from the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and to Cambridge by representatives of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

Brass Leopard with raised spots, attached by the head to a chain. University of Cambridge.

In 2022 the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology received a formal request from the National Commission of Museums and Monuments in Nigeria for the return of items taken by British-led forces from Benin City in February 1897.  Following this, staff at the museum prepared a list of 116 items which could be traced directly to the expedition, which was then put to the Museum’s Management Committee,  the University Council and the UK Charity Commission for approval. Once this was gained, the museum began drawing up plans for the change of ownership.

Prince Aghatise Erediauwa and Professor Nicholas Thomas, pictured at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 2021 as part of The Benin Dialogue Group. University of Cambridge.

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