Since it was established that the object had been looted from Benin City by the British military in 1897, it is being proactively returned to Nigeria. One of the so-called ‘Benin Bronzes’, taken by force and now distributed between museums and private collections across the world, this object is only one of many thousands. Momentum has been growing in recent years for institutions to voluntarily repatriate them to the place from where they were forcibly removed. Of course, this now sets a precedent for other museums to follow suit.

The museum’s repatriation and decolonisation policies are available to read online and are a good reference point for other museums wanting to develop their work in this important area.