The Horniman Museum and Gardens, located in south London, announced the transfer in a news release
Sunday. All of the objects were taken from the Kingdom of Benin, in
what is now the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria, during a
British military operation in February 1897, the museum said.
The
artifacts include 12 brass plaques that are part of a genre known as
the "Benin bronzes." These bronze sculptures were created from at least
the 16th century to decorate the royal court in Benin, according to the British Museum.
In
1897, British forces launched a "bloody and devastating" military
occupation of the Benin Kingdom and thousands of artworks were stolen
and taken to the United Kingdom as "spoils of war," the museum said.
The
Horniman's Benin collection also includes other brass objects looted
during the occupation, such as an altar piece, bells, fans and baskets.
"We
very much welcome this decision by the Trustees of the Horniman Museum
and Gardens," said Abba Tijani, director general of Nigeria's National
Commission for Museums and Monuments, in the release.
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