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Reflections on the Customary Laws of Benin Kingdom and Its Living Cultural Objects in the Discourse of Ownership and Restitution

Publication date: 12.2022

Santander Art and Culture Law Review, 2022, 2/2022 (8), pp. 29 - 48

https://doi.org/10.4467/2450050XSNR.22.011.17024

Authors

,
Oluwatoyin Sogbesan
Ajayi Crowther University, Faculty of Environmental Studies, P.M.B 1066, Oyo Town Oyo State, Nigeria
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8668-130X Orcid
All publications →
Tokie Laotan-Brown
Foundation for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Nigeria, 38 MCC Road, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4243-3299 Orcid
All publications →

Titles

Reflections on the Customary Laws of Benin Kingdom and Its Living Cultural Objects in the Discourse of Ownership and Restitution

Abstract

The British punitive expedition of 1897 led to the theft and vandalization of the cultural heritage of the Benin kingdom. The plunder included more than 3,000 cultural objects made of bronzes, ivories, beads, and other objects, which were produced since the 1st century AD to commemorate historical moments, political transitions, and ritual purposes. This theft dishonoured the spiritual and ritual significance of these living cultural objects, and has turned them into museum artefacts. As international debates on restitution and the return of Benin Bronzes intensify, two pertinent questions which arise are: Who will be the custodians of the returned artefacts?; and How will they be conserved? In this article, we address these two questions through the lens of Benin customary laws and practices. We argue that within this local jurisprudence, the Emwin Arre– the living cultural heritage described above –belong to the Oba of Benin and should be returned to the royal Palace, where they will be preserved, protected, and shared with the present and future generations. 

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Information

Information: Santander Art and Culture Law Review, 2022, 2/2022 (8), pp. 29 - 48

Article type: Original article

Titles:

Polish:

Reflections on the Customary Laws of Benin Kingdom and Its Living Cultural Objects in the Discourse of Ownership and Restitution

English:

Reflections on the Customary Laws of Benin Kingdom and Its Living Cultural Objects in the Discourse of Ownership and Restitution

Authors

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8668-130X

Oluwatoyin Sogbesan
Ajayi Crowther University, Faculty of Environmental Studies, P.M.B 1066, Oyo Town Oyo State, Nigeria
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8668-130X Orcid
All publications →

Ajayi Crowther University, Faculty of Environmental Studies, P.M.B 1066, Oyo Town Oyo State, Nigeria

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4243-3299

Tokie Laotan-Brown
Foundation for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Nigeria, 38 MCC Road, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4243-3299 Orcid
All publications →

Foundation for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Nigeria, 38 MCC Road, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Published at: 12.2022

Article status: Open

Licence: CC BY  licence icon

Percentage share of authors:

Oluwatoyin Sogbesan (Author) - 50%
Tokie Laotan-Brown (Author) - 50%

Article corrections:

-

Publication languages:

English