Looted African art is slowly coming home, as France, Britain and others return colonial-era treasures and the continent builds museums to receive them.
AFRICA · CULTURE
Key Facts
—A turning point: Looted African art is returning home in growing numbers, as former colonial powers ease centuries-old resistance.
—France moves: In March 2026 France returned the Djidji Ayôkwé, a sacred “talking drum” taken from Côte d’Ivoire in 1916.
—A faster law: French lawmakers advanced a framework in 2026 to speed returns, replacing a slow, object-by-object process.
Switzerland returns 18 looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Switzerland returns famed Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Swiss museums return Benin bronzes, artifacts to Nigeria
Swiss museums return Benin bronzes to Nigeria
Oba of Benin receives 18 looted artefacts after 125 years
Switzerland returns 18 historic Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
France has been flooded with restitution demands, including from Algeria, Mali and Benin.
The Benin Bronzes return gathers pace in 2026 as three Swiss museums sign over 28 looted pieces and Nigeria builds a new home in…
The law, which fulfills a promise Emmanuel Macron made to a crowd of young African people in 2017, allows the government to…
The move forms part of a broader process of returning cultural artefacts to African countries that started in 2017.
Three Swiss museums have returned 18 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, a new step in the African's country decades-long struggle to…
The government discussed a bill to speed up the restitution of artworks looted during the colonial era, simplifying existing…
