The Oba of Benin Kingdom, Oba Ewuare II, and traditional artifacts makers in the kingdom were excited on Monday as two among many artifacts looted from the palace of the Oba of Benin were returned to the king
The artifacts are a mother hen and a bronzen plaque were retrieved from University of Iowa’s Museum, United States of America.
Oba Ewuare II, who received the artifacts, disclosed that his forebears started the moves to retrieve all artifacts looted from the palace in the colonial days but was able to accomplish the desire.
He noted that some had been returned to the place also.
The Benin palace was invaded in 1897 by the British and carted away several artifacts in the process.
The monarch revealed that the immediate past Head of State, President Muhammadu Buhari unequivocally made it very clear, the ownership of artifacts through his recent gazette before he left office.
The royal father disclosed that people are seeing as mere artifacts are not just mere artifacts rather they have spiritual implications which the mere mortals cannot comprehend.
He, therefore, charged political leaders in the country to help preserve the traditions and customs of the land, saying it should not be left to the traditional institutions alone.
Earlier, Mr. Cory Gundlach, a curator from the African Art, apologized to the Oba of Benin for using the artifacts as teaching materials in the university just as he also apologized on behalf of his colleagues who have used the arts to teach thousands of students in the United States of America.
He assured the monarch of his determination to ensure that others that are kept elsewhere are returned to the Benin palace, their original abode.