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Germany returns 21 Benin bronzes to Nigeria
quote:Germany returns 21 Benin bronzes to Nigeria – amid frustration at Britain
Artefacts looted in 19th century by UK soldiers and sold on, with many more still held by the British Museum
Twenty-one precious artefacts that were looted by British soldiers from the former west African kingdom of Benin 125 years ago have been handed over by Germany to Nigeria amid laughter, tears, and some audible frustration with the ongoing silence of the country that first stole them.
The objects from the haul of treasures known as the Benin bronzes, including a brass head of an oba (king), a ceremonial ada and a throne depicting a coiled-up python, were taken from the sacked city during a British punitive expedition in 1897 and later sold to German museums in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Cologne.
Shortly after lunchtime on Tuesday, Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, passed perhaps the most spectacular of the returned objects into the gloved hands of Nigeria’s culture minister, Lai Mohammed.
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Whistlers Mother, Mona Lisa, Boy Blue, & The Scream were stolen by Ghanaian or Nigerian expeditionary forces then sold to Senegalese or Burundian imagine that in reverse towards European lands.How much art from Africa, Australia, Oceania, & the Americas been stolen by European thugs?
Antalas Member # 23506
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I've never understood this logic of "returning" artifacts, given that they were initially discovered and safeguarded by Europeans. The indigenous people of the areas where these artifacts were found did not have a tradition of archaeology, and they did not attach much importance to the artifacts. This is especially true in Muslim countries, where anything from the Jahiliya period (refers to the pre-Islamic era) was often disregarded.
Also look at what happened to these artifacts in Egypt during the Arab spring or what happened to them in Irak with ISIS... These incidents highlight the vulnerability of these artifacts so it would be best for these artifacts to remain in Europe.
Tazarah Member # 23365
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quote:Originally posted by Antalas: I've never understood this logic of "returning" artifacts, given that they were initially discovered and safeguarded by Europeans. The indigenous people of the areas where these artifacts were found did not have a tradition of archaeology, and they did not attach much importance to the artifacts. This is especially true in Muslim countries, where anything from the Jahiliya period (refers to the pre-Islamic era) was often disregarded.
Also look at what happened to these artifacts in Egypt during the Arab spring or what happened to them in Irak with ISIS... These incidents highlight the vulnerability of these artifacts so it would be best for these artifacts to remain in Europe.
Spoken like a true colonizing thief.
-Just Call Me Jari- Member # 14451
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This is mainly a Muslim issue, in Muslim countries unless you can provide evidence of Africans or any non Musims disrespecting their history. Also, was'nt Benin intact when the city was burned and the artifacts taken? So how could they be "discovered" when the artifacts were being used as part of the city?
quote:Originally posted by Antalas: I've never understood this logic of "returning" artifacts, given that they were initially discovered and safeguarded by Europeans. The indigenous people of the areas where these artifacts were found did not have a tradition of archaeology, and they did not attach much importance to the artifacts. This is especially true in Muslim countries, where anything from the Jahiliya period (refers to the pre-Islamic era) was often disregarded.
Also look at what happened to these artifacts in Egypt during the Arab spring or what happened to them in Irak with ISIS... These incidents highlight the vulnerability of these artifacts so it would be best for these artifacts to remain in Europe.
Archeopteryx Member # 23193
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British museum is not so keen on returning its bronzes
quote:Originally posted by Tazarah: Spoken like a true colonizing thief. [/QB]
quote:Originally posted by -Just Call Me Jari-: [QB] This is mainly a Muslim issue, in Muslim countries unless you can provide evidence of Africans or any non Musims disrespecting their history. Also, was'nt Benin intact when the city was burned and the artifacts taken? So how could they be "discovered" when the artifacts were being used as part of the city?
Seems like I was right :
-Just Call Me Jari- Member # 14451
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I never said you were wrong, esp. when like I said it comes to Muslim countries. That said if they are in a private collection, are they being harmed or destroyed..?
quote:Originally posted by Antalas:
quote:Originally posted by Tazarah: Spoken like a true colonizing thief.
quote:Originally posted by -Just Call Me Jari-: This is mainly a Muslim issue, in Muslim countries unless you can provide evidence of Africans or any non Musims disrespecting their history. Also, was'nt Benin intact when the city was burned and the artifacts taken? So how could they be "discovered" when the artifacts were being used as part of the city?
Seems like I was right :
Antalas Member # 23506
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quote:Originally posted by -Just Call Me Jari-: [QB] I never said you were wrong, esp. when like I said it comes to Muslim countries. That said if they are in a private collection, are they being harmed or destroyed..?
The thing is most Beninese aren't even muslim and those artifacts simply vanished so who knows what happened to them.
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