Benin Kingdom Gallery, US

By Tajudeen Sowole INCONSISTENCY in policies, which keeps limiting the continent, seems to have aided the legitimacy claim of Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston, US over the controversial Benin cultural objects. Last year, the museum had received donation of 28 pieces of art in bronzes and six ivories from an American, Mr. Robert Owen Lehman. The donor, significantly, is the heir to the vast collection of a famous banker, Phillip Lehman (1891-1969), who was one of the early collectors of Benin art. The collection has been traced to the looting that took place when the British invaded old Benin Kingdom in 1897, which eventually led to the sending of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi (1888 -1914) to exile in Calabar. An estimated 4, 000 cultural objects from the Benin palace were looted by the British military. For MFA, which is one of many museums in the US and Europe holding some of the Benin artefacts, it’s a priority to legitimise the invaluable collection. In getting legitimacy, the endorsement of Benin natives was essential, particularly in managing public sentiment and perception, so suggests the museum’s attitude after receiving the donations last year. A newspaper review on the controversial donations, published by The Guardian last year with heading Ahead of 2013 show of looted Benin artefacts, museum plots legitimacy, had exposed MFA’s tactics to blur the restitution question hanging over the acquisition of the artefacts. Two weeks ago, MFA’s plan was finally carried out as some natives of Benin joined the museum in what was tagged, Celebration of Benin Kingdom Arts and Culture. It was the opening of Benin Kingdom Gallery, a dedication to the cultural objects of the people. The event, MFA said, was in collaboration with a Boston-based group, Coalition of Committed Benin Community Organisations. Photographs from the event, which showed a high level representative, also indicate an apparent contrast to the demand of the Benin monarch for the restitution of the controversial artefacts. The delegates included Ambassador Walter Carrington, Chief Nicholas O. Obaseki of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Highness Professor Gregory I, Akenzua of Benin Kingdom, Chief Esosa Eghobamien, The Obobaifo of Benin Kingdom, Dr. Arese Carrington, and Director of MFA, Boston Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund. continued