According to a report, France will give back items taken by the french army during a war in Benin, then the wealthy African kingdom of Dohomey in present day Nigeria. Reportedly, the 26 items which include a royal throne and statues were taken from the former french colony’s royal palace. According to the report, members of the french national assembly, the lower house of parliament have voted unanimously to return the items, the matter is now heading to the senate.
Reportedly, the president of Benin told Jeune Africa magazine that he was not satisfied, though he recognised small steps on behalf of France. According to reports, the items are part of 70,000 African objects in the Quai Branly museum, Paris.
According to reports, the uk have faced calls to return artefacts such as the Elgin marbles to Greece and the Benin bronzes to the president of Benin. Reportedly, the Elgin marbles are a collection of classical Greek sculptures dating from the 5th Century bc., originally part of the parthenon and metropolis of Athens. According to a report, between 1800 and 1803 the seventh earl of Elgin removed some of the surviving sculptures and transported them to Britain, they are currently on display in the Duveen gallery of the British museum. According to reports, in 1887 British troops looted thousands of art works, known as the Benin bronzes. Reportedly the British museum holds around 73,000 Afrcan objects stolen during wars and colonisation.
According to a report, european state owned institutions require legislation to return their collections which has been innitiated in France and Germany. Reportedly, uk legislation does not allow British museums to do the same.