Does the head belong to the rider?

In 1897, British troops attacked the kingdom of Benin in present-day Nigeria. They ousted the king, burned down the capital and looted thousands of royal artefacts from the palace. In Europe, the objects were sold on the art market as "Benin Bronzes". In 1940, Benin artefacts also entered the collection of the Ethnographic Museum.

Today, these objects oblige us as a museum to engage with Nigerian communities, enable their access to their cultural heritage and acknowledge their claims to ownership.

This exhibition, drawing on research from the Swiss Benin Initiative, has been developed with Nigerian experts from Benin City and diaspora groups in Zurich.