Benin artist (Nigeria) Benin Plaque (detail), 1550–1650. Bronze; 20 1/4 in x 14 1/8 in. Work loaned out to the Denver Art Museum by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments of Nigeria in Support of the International Friendship and Collaborations Being Fostered by the Parties upon the Uncontested Return of Ancient Benin Kingdom Art to Nigeria by the Denver Art Museum.
Restitution, Repair, and Reconciliation
Please join the Denver Art Museum’s Native Arts and Provenance departments, along with special guest Mr. Olugbile Holloway, Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) of Nigeria, for a special evening discussing the recent repatriation of a plaque from the Kingdom of Benin. We are pleased to host Mr. Holloway for a lively panel discussion focused on the significance of repatriating Benin Bronzes with Nigeria and the importance of fostering international relationships that go beyond the return of objects. We will also discuss the importance of provenance research and the role it plays in returning objects to rightful countries of origin.
The Denver Art Museum has held a long-standing relationship with the government of Nigeria, the Oba of Benin and the NCMM for over five decades. This partnership has been dedicated to the respectful identification and repatriation of cultural artifacts, including the repatriation of the Benin Bronze plaque in the DAM’s collection, now on view in the Arts of Africa gallery, after the agreement of a five-year loan from the Nigerian government. Repatriations like this reflect the DAM’s commitment to ongoing collaboration with African communities, working to build trust and repair wrongs of the past.
This event will be livestreamed for those who can't attend in person. Buy virtual tickets.
