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Ten European museums sit today at the Leiden Museum of Ethnology at the table with the Nigerian authorities. Trouw explains that they talk about the loan of Nigerian art works stolen from a museum in the city of Benin in Nigeria,
The museums together hold more than a thousand sculptures, better known as "Bronzes of Benin". The works of art were stolen from the palace of the King of the Kingdom of Benin, in present-day Nigeria, in 1897, during a British punitive expedition. The Museum of Ethnology has sixty and museums in London and Berlin have hundreds of pieces in their possession.
The African country has been asking for a return for decades. Last year, European museums promised to cooperate in the loan of stolen art. French President Macron said earlier that it was necessary to see the African heritage of French museums in Africa
"Second Choice"
European museums are more likely to find themselves in the belly with collections of colonial pieces. The origin is sometimes questionable and the idea of gnawing the fact that the original countries sometimes lack essential parts of their cultural history.
Folarin Shyllon, involved in negotiations since 2010, claims that he believes that the pieces will come to Benin City if there is an agreement. The loan is a "second choice" according to the law professor of Abuja University. "We are striving to get a restitution, but this is not realistic."
According to the newspaper, today 's discussions are so delicate that the Leiden Museum only wants to say something about it afterwards.
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