Last time I posted about this, people were up in arms
Its a start. Just hope they will be kept somewhere safe and securely. Be pointless giving them back to later be found for sale on the black market.
The British Museum is literally just a building full of stuff we’ve nicked.
I think it’s notable that they were able to return these items to the same people they were taken from, pretty much.
It wouldn’t be as neat and tidy for other items taken from long extinct cultures, and this definitely isn’t a setting a precedent for the return of other items to people happening to inhabit the same lands they were dug up in. Modern Egyptians claiming ownership of Ancient Egyptian artefacts, for example. Not quite the same.
How long until they’re stolen or destroyed? 3… 2….1
[deleted]
So I read it as returning looted Be**rl**in artefacts to Nigeria and I was thinking this is r/FUCKYOUINPARTICULAR material. “Benin City” makes more sense, yeah.
For a second I thought they had looted an entire city.
I have mixed feelings about this as a Brit with Nigerian descent.
They belong in Nigeria but… the country’s governance is so terrible. I think I’d prefer them to go back when we don’t have such an evil and incompetent cabal in charge.
Good, about time.
And in the modern world there are really well established inter-museum lending programmes, no need to hoard stolen loot just to have some exhibits.
I wonder if 100 years from now there will be a programme where the newly formed Russian Democratic Republic hands back looted art and historical artifacts to Ukraine?
Its Nigeria’s to look after or destroy. Thats what you can do with your own possessions. Those thinking that they have a say on the future of artefacts nothing to do with them, would do well to reflect.
This is how it starts … they will be lining up to get everything back from the museums …. uk as pretty much looted everywhere
Y’all talking about whether the artefacts would be better off in Britain or Nigeria, whilst I’m just paying attention to the signage that says horni man
I give it a week and a half before they go missing forever.
They’re going to go missing within a year, people have gone mad with social justice that they can’t even think properly anymore.
Sooo if Nigeria accepts Benin artefacts as if they are the cultural descendants of the Benin people … will they accept the calls for reparations and the required guilt necessary for capturing and selling other Africans in to slavery ?
Finally, a sensible act. Now, return the rest of the stolen artefacts to South Asian, Middle Eastern, African, South East Asian countries.
Why is every institution In this country ashamed of itself and working againist British interests?
We could take better of yhem and have had them longer. Original owners are long dead.
I bet it was sneakily in the night like when they robbed them.
I’m not an expert on local governance but hope they stay safe under Nigerian control and available for people to view them for long time to come
Now that’s done UK may need to process claims from other African countries, Indian subcontinent, Greece etc
I suspect the museums in London may become empty very quickly if all these other claims are processed
I think we’ve paid for that stuff by now with the amount of money we send them every year.
I say the museums should make replicas for them to keep and give the original to the originating nation unless that nation is not a safe place due to war and the like (Eg sending Ukrainian artefacts back to Ukraine)
Next up give them marbles back to Turkey.
Rosetta stone is ours though we took that from the French who found it being used as building foundation.
That non negotiable till they return the lands they stole from us such as Normandy.
It’s good – if it can proven to be obtained illegally at the time it should be returned
There is a great episode of an Australian podcast called ‘Stuff The British Stole’ by Marc Fennell about the Benin Bronzes. I’d highly recommend listening x
Strange how Benin City isn’t actually in Benin. That must surely confuse a lot of folk from outside the West African republics.
Maybe we could have a stolen artefact/pirate museum in London that only has stolen items.
Reddit / guardian readers give the worst takes on the historical artefact debate it’s actually shocking.
‘It’s theirs so they can do what they want with it I support them destroying them’
Or
‘What about us we are a shit country to’
Really great argument guys…. The ignorance on this sub is stunning..
My favourite quote about the Benin Bronzes comes from George the Poet from a poem he recited about the artifacts. [Watch here](https://youtu.be/3IlUMUGUorw)
“…the British response was a thousand marines.
All I remember is the sound of the screams as they raided our city, as they raped and pillaged the indigenous people of this ancient village.
I can’t erase the image.
They circled around as our civilization was burned to the ground.
**And what was once the Royal Décor had become the spoils of war**.”
DON’T neglect to return the stolen Parthenon Marbles as well please.
Good. Anyone whining about the safety of the return of artefacts is just a pearl clutching racist.
As if this process isn’t vetted and they’re giving it to traffickers to move in the black market.
It is extremely telling when Brits lecture foreign museums, trusts, and governments for the return of their stolen artefacts that they looted during their long legacy of brutal colonialism.
30 comments
Last time I posted about this, people were up in arms
Its a start. Just hope they will be kept somewhere safe and securely. Be pointless giving them back to later be found for sale on the black market.
The British Museum is literally just a building full of stuff we’ve nicked.
I think it’s notable that they were able to return these items to the same people they were taken from, pretty much.
It wouldn’t be as neat and tidy for other items taken from long extinct cultures, and this definitely isn’t a setting a precedent for the return of other items to people happening to inhabit the same lands they were dug up in. Modern Egyptians claiming ownership of Ancient Egyptian artefacts, for example. Not quite the same.
How long until they’re stolen or destroyed? 3… 2….1
[deleted]
So I read it as returning looted Be**rl**in artefacts to Nigeria and I was thinking this is r/FUCKYOUINPARTICULAR material. “Benin City” makes more sense, yeah.
For a second I thought they had looted an entire city.
I have mixed feelings about this as a Brit with Nigerian descent.
They belong in Nigeria but… the country’s governance is so terrible. I think I’d prefer them to go back when we don’t have such an evil and incompetent cabal in charge.
Good, about time.
And in the modern world there are really well established inter-museum lending programmes, no need to hoard stolen loot just to have some exhibits.
I wonder if 100 years from now there will be a programme where the newly formed Russian Democratic Republic hands back looted art and historical artifacts to Ukraine?
Its Nigeria’s to look after or destroy. Thats what you can do with your own possessions. Those thinking that they have a say on the future of artefacts nothing to do with them, would do well to reflect.
This is how it starts … they will be lining up to get everything back from the museums …. uk as pretty much looted everywhere
Y’all talking about whether the artefacts would be better off in Britain or Nigeria, whilst I’m just paying attention to the signage that says horni man
I give it a week and a half before they go missing forever.
They’re going to go missing within a year, people have gone mad with social justice that they can’t even think properly anymore.
Sooo if Nigeria accepts Benin artefacts as if they are the cultural descendants of the Benin people … will they accept the calls for reparations and the required guilt necessary for capturing and selling other Africans in to slavery ?
Finally, a sensible act. Now, return the rest of the stolen artefacts to South Asian, Middle Eastern, African, South East Asian countries.
Why is every institution In this country ashamed of itself and working againist British interests?
We could take better of yhem and have had them longer. Original owners are long dead.
I bet it was sneakily in the night like when they robbed them.
I’m not an expert on local governance but hope they stay safe under Nigerian control and available for people to view them for long time to come
Now that’s done UK may need to process claims from other African countries, Indian subcontinent, Greece etc
I suspect the museums in London may become empty very quickly if all these other claims are processed
I think we’ve paid for that stuff by now with the amount of money we send them every year.
I say the museums should make replicas for them to keep and give the original to the originating nation unless that nation is not a safe place due to war and the like (Eg sending Ukrainian artefacts back to Ukraine)
Next up give them marbles back to Turkey.
Rosetta stone is ours though we took that from the French who found it being used as building foundation.
That non negotiable till they return the lands they stole from us such as Normandy.
It’s good – if it can proven to be obtained illegally at the time it should be returned
There is a great episode of an Australian podcast called ‘Stuff The British Stole’ by Marc Fennell about the Benin Bronzes. I’d highly recommend listening x
Strange how Benin City isn’t actually in Benin. That must surely confuse a lot of folk from outside the West African republics.
Maybe we could have a stolen artefact/pirate museum in London that only has stolen items.
Reddit / guardian readers give the worst takes on the historical artefact debate it’s actually shocking.
‘It’s theirs so they can do what they want with it I support them destroying them’
Or
‘What about us we are a shit country to’
Really great argument guys…. The ignorance on this sub is stunning..
My favourite quote about the Benin Bronzes comes from George the Poet from a poem he recited about the artifacts. [Watch here](https://youtu.be/3IlUMUGUorw)
“…the British response was a thousand marines.
All I remember is the sound of the screams as they raided our city, as they raped and pillaged the indigenous people of this ancient village.
I can’t erase the image.
They circled around as our civilization was burned to the ground.
**And what was once the Royal Décor had become the spoils of war**.”
DON’T neglect to return the stolen Parthenon Marbles as well please.
Good. Anyone whining about the safety of the return of artefacts is just a pearl clutching racist.
As if this process isn’t vetted and they’re giving it to traffickers to move in the black market.
It is extremely telling when Brits lecture foreign museums, trusts, and governments for the return of their stolen artefacts that they looted during their long legacy of brutal colonialism.