BENIN CITY.- A centuries-old bronze plaque that spent nearly nine decades in a Dutch museum collection has returned to the royal palace of Benin, bringing a significant chapter in its long and troubled history to a close. The object, believed to have been looted during the British invasion of the Kingdom of Benin in 1897, was formally presented to Oba Ewuare II on October 20, 2026, during celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of his coronation.

The restitution was carried out by Museum de Fundatie in Zwolle, the Netherlands, which had held the bronze since 1937. Museum director Beatrice von Bormann personally handed the plaque to the Oba at the royal palace in Benin City, in the presence of Nigerian officials, traditional leaders, and international representatives.

For the museum, the occasion marked the culmination of years of provenance research and discussions with Nigerian authorities. For the royal palace, it meant the return of an object whose cultural significance reaches far beyond its value as a work of art.

A bronze with a history of displacement

Known in Edo as Ama O Ghe Ehen, the plaque depicts a mudfish, or lungfish, a creature associated with rebirth in Edo culture. Such bronze plaques once decorated the walls of the palace of the Oba of Benin, where they helped preserve the history, beliefs, and traditions of the kingdom.

The plaque entered Museum de Fundatie's collection in 1937, when museum founder Dirk Hannema purchased it from Amsterdam art dealer Carel van Lier. Before that, it had belonged to French art dealer Charles Ratton.

Its earlier history was far more difficult to reconstruct.

Research undertaken by the museum, with renewed attention beginning in 2023, established the object's origins in Benin City and strengthened the conclusion that it had most likely been taken during the British military assault of 1897. That attack resulted in the looting and dispersal of numerous royal artworks, many of which subsequently entered European museums and private collections.

Although the museum describes the plaque as very likely looted in 1897, it has not presented that specific connection as an established certainty.

A homecoming during a royal anniversary

The return unfolded in two stages. On November 10, 2025, von Bormann and Dr. Babatunde Adebiyi, representing Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), signed the documents transferring ownership of the plaque to the royal family of Benin.

The physical presentation to Oba Ewuare II followed on October 20, 2026, during the tenth-anniversary celebrations of his coronation.

Among those attending were Frank Keurhorst, the Netherlands' consul general in Nigeria, and Paulo Martins Santos, Portugal's ambassador to Nigeria, along with representatives of the NCMM and other dignitaries.

According to Nigerian newspaper The Punch, von Bormann expressed her satisfaction at returning an object that had been held in the Netherlands for generations. The Oba's anniversary provided a particularly meaningful occasion for its presentation, connecting the return of a royal artifact with the continuing traditions of the Benin monarchy.

An exhibition connecting past and present

Museum de Fundatie wanted the restitution to become more than a formal transfer of ownership. Its response was Back to Benin: New Art, Ancient Heritage, an exhibition that explored the bronze's history while giving contemporary artists of Edo descent an opportunity to engage with their cultural inheritance.

Curated by Aude Christel Mgba, the exhibition ran from February 21 to June 7, 2026, in Zwolle. Ten artists were invited to produce new works inspired by the mudfish plaque and the wider history of Benin's artistic traditions.

The participating artists were Leo Asemota, Minne Atairu, Victor Ehikhamenor, Favour Jonathan, Taiye Idahor, Osaru Obaseki, Enotie Ogbebor, Abraham Onoriode Oghobase, Osaze Amadasun, and Phil Omodamwen.

Working across different media, they explored the relationship between historical heritage and contemporary artistic expression. Their contributions demonstrated that the traditions associated with the Kingdom of Benin are not simply remnants of the past but remain a source of creativity for artists today.

The bronze itself was temporarily displayed in the exhibition on loan, allowing Dutch audiences one final opportunity to encounter it before its return to Nigeria. The museum also acquired several works produced in connection with the exhibition.

Part of a wider movement toward restitution

The return comes amid broader efforts by Dutch cultural institutions to address the colonial histories of objects in their collections.

In February 2025, the Dutch government announced that it would return 113 Benin Bronzes from the Dutch State Collection to Nigeria. By June of that year, the Netherlands announced the return of 119 objects, including works from collections beyond those initially identified.

These restitutions reflect growing recognition that the Benin Bronzes are not merely historical objects to be preserved and exhibited. They are also important records of the kingdom's history and cultural identity, with enduring significance for communities in Nigeria.

Museum de Fundatie's decision was distinct in that the institution initiated the unconditional return of the plaque to the Benin royal family. The museum also used the process as an opportunity to develop relationships with Nigerian scholars, cultural representatives, and contemporary artists.

More than the return of an object

For Museum de Fundatie, the handover has brought its involvement with the mudfish plaque to a close, but the research and artistic collaborations surrounding its return have opened a wider conversation about how museums approach objects acquired during the colonial period.

The bronze's journey also illustrates the difference between possessing an artwork and understanding what it means to the culture from which it came.

For generations, the plaque was part of a European museum collection. Now, returned to the royal family of Benin, it can once again be understood within the historical and cultural setting for which it was created.

As the museum emphasized in announcing the return, the Benin Bronzes are more than works of remarkable craftsmanship. Their imagery, symbolism, and spiritual associations preserve the history of the Edo people and their kingdom.

After nearly 90 years in Zwolle, Ama O Ghe Ehen is back in Benin.