London's Horniman Museum to return Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - London's Horniman Museum said on Sunday it would return 72 artefacts, 含むing 12 厚かましさ／高級将校連 plaques known as Benin Bronzes, 略奪するd from Benin City by British 兵士s in 1897 to the Nigerian 政府.
Created from 厚かましさ／高級将校連 and bronze in the once mighty Kingdom of Benin in what is now southwestern Nigeria from at least the 16th century onwards, the Benin Bronzes are の中で Africa's most culturally 重要な artefacts.
They were 掴むd, along with thousands of other items, in a British 軍の 急襲, and ended up in museums in Europe and the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs.
African countries have 戦う／戦いd for years to 回復する 作品 略奪するd by explorers and colonisers, while Western 会・原則s are grappling with the cultural 遺産／遺物s of 植民地主義. German 当局 last month returned the first of more than 1,100 priceless sculptures to Nigeria, に引き続いて examples 始める，決める by Jesus College at Cambridge University and the Quai Branly museum in Paris last year.
The Horniman said Nigeria's 国家の （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) had requested the return of the artefacts at the beginning of the year.
"The 証拠 is very （疑いを）晴らす that these 反対するs were acquired through 軍隊, and 外部の 協議 supported our 見解（をとる） that it is both moral and appropriate to return their 所有権 to Nigeria," said Eve Salomon, 議長，司会を務める of the trustees of the Horniman Museum and Gardens.
"The Horniman is pleased to be able to take this step and we look 今後 to working with the NCMM to 安全な・保証する longer 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 care for these precious artefacts."
NCMM Director-General Abba Tijani welcomed the 決定／判定勝ち（する）, 説 he looked 今後 to discussing 貸付金 協定s and 共同s with the Horniman.
The returns are likely to 増加する 圧力 on the British Museum in London, which 持つ／拘留するs by far the largest and most 重要な collection of Benin Bronzes. (報告（する）／憶測ing by Paul Sandle; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
