Malcolm Rogers says MFA has “every right” to Benin bronzes
One of the Benin bronzes given to the MFA by New York collector Robert Owen Lehman. (Handout)
Is the Museum of Fine Arts worried about reports that a government agency in Nigeria wants artifacts given to the museum last month to be returned? Not in the least, sniffed MFA director Malcolm Rogers . Contacted Thursday, Rogers said there’s been no claim filed on the 34 rare West African pieces given to the MFA by New York collector Robert Owen Lehman . The majority of the works, known as the Benin bronzes, were seized by the British during the Benin Massacre of 1897. The Huffington Post reports that the agency in Nigeria that regulates the nation’s museum systems wants the works returned. “We know perfectly well we have every right in the world to own these beautiful pieces and make them available for the world public,” said Rogers. “It’s one of the most special things that museums do. We move objects into the public domain.”
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Mark Shanahan joined The Boston Globe in
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