Stolen Benin City mask to be auctioned in London for N1.25b-A 16th-century ivory pendant mask, one of the last great masterpieces of Benin City sculpture remaining in private hands, but believed to have been stolen by British colonialists  is to be offered for sale at Sotheby’s London. The mask, to be auctioned in February next year with an estimate of £5 million (N1.25 billion), is thought to have been worn by the then Oba of Benin city on ceremonial occasions. Only four other ivory masks of this age and quality are known, all of which are in museums.  Standing at 22cm high, the mask is being sold by the descendants of one Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Lionel Gallwey, deputy commissioner and vice-consul in the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1891, who took part in the infamous Punitive Expedition of 1897 in what is now southern Nigeria.  In response to the massacre of a previous British-led invasion force, naval and protectorate troops deposed the king and captured, looted and burnt the city of Benin.

The admiralty confiscated most of the booty and auctioned it off to defray the costs of the expedition, although a sizeable group ended up in the British Museum. Among them is another of the same group of ivory masks. The technical skill of these cast bronze and ivory ritual sculptures astounded western audiences, and the dispersal of the Benin treasures paved the way for a reassessment of African art by artists and scholars. When Jacob Epstein saw this piece in an exhibition in London in 1947, he asked the family if he could exchange it for one of his sculptures. Its whereabouts remained unknown until the family contacted Sotheby’s last year. Jean Fritts, director of African and Oceanic art at Sotheby’s, said: “It has an amazing, untouched surface which collectors love. Its honey colour attests to years of rubbing with palm oil.” From the same collection, and offered alongside, are a carved altar tusk, two ivory armlets, a rare bronze armlet cast with Portuguese figures and a bronze sculpture usually described as a tusk stand. A bronze head of an Oba of around 1575-1625 was sold for a record $4.7m in 2007. The auction record for any African work of art is €5.9m.


Oba Ovonramwen’s £4.5m mask for auction in UK

By Agency Reporter   
Wednesday, 22 Dec 2010   
16th Century Benin Ivory pendant mask put at £4.5m is to be offered for sale at Sotheby’s in London, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The mask, according to the Financial Times of London, is to be auctioned in February. It said it was one of the last great masterpieces of Benin sculpture remaining in private hands and was believed to have been worn by Oba Ovonranmwen before the British punitive expedition to Benin Kingdom in 1897.
Standing at 22cm high, the mask is being sold by the descendants of Lt.-Col. Sir Henry Lionel Gallwey, whow as the deputy commissioner and vice-consul in the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1891.
Galleway took part in the infamous expedition.
Meanwhile, the Director of African Oceanic Arts at Sotheby’s, Mr. Jean Fritts, has said the mask has an amazing, untouched surface which collectors love.
“Its honey colour attests to years of rubbing with palm oil,” he stated.
A bronze head of an Oba who ruled around 1575-1625 was sold for a record £44.7m in 2007.
There have been several calls for the return of artefacts stolen from the Benin Kingdom and kept in various art galleries around the world.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101222324714

Ok, dem dey auction our fore father's property now like na them own am. When our Yahooze boys start to collect reparation from them, make dem no vex o!

It should be returned, with apologies even, it's part of our heritage.

Oyinbos are the biggest theives.

stolen properties to be auctioned----classic

A sad spot in the illustrious history of the Benin Kingdom Trust our leaders not to be interested in Historical Artefacts. I am sure Madam Dora would have said something like, Let us loot UK artefacts like Ipods and Ipads and auction them off as well but seriously, what are Nigerian Museum authorities doing to bring it back to Nigeria

This is tragic. The Ministers of Culture and Foreign Affairs aought to make appropriate demands in this regard.

Deep Sight:

This is tragic. The Ministers of Culture and Foreign Affairs aought to make appropriate demands in this regard.

You dey mind them, later somebody go blame yahoo boys wey dey collect their own share of what was looted from us. This is nauseating abeg, auctioning off what was obviously stolen.

These Oyibos are bloody thieves.What is d govt doing 2restore d stolen mandate?They are busy campaigning 4 one political office or d other.

It's sad . . . notice how it's called the 'punitive expedition' . . . a gentler way to describe murder, massacre and robbery.
It's no different from the terms 'the great crusade', 'scramble for Africa' and most recent the 'war against terrorism'.

good to know that  the masterpieces are where they are treasured,those in our museums (if we still have any)are in a sorry state so why struggle for what u cant maintain or appreciate.

we should be asking for our own share of the sales proceed or get our yahoo pros to do their job or better still consult Abdumutallab

If all else fails trying to recover this stolen masterpiece, the Fed Govt should place a bit.

aguiyi:

good to know that  the masterpieces are where they are treasured,those in our museums (if we still have any)are in a sorry state so why struggle for what u cant maintain or appreciate.

That should be our choice shouldn't it??

Chrisbenogor:

You dey mind them, later somebody go blame yahoo boys wey dey collect their own share of what was looted from us. This is nauseating abeg, auctioning off what was obviously stolen.

Classic dump naija mentality.

As at the time of theft from us, there were barely laws in place to prevent such thing. However, in this day and age, there are laws in almost country to prevent electronic fraudulent and deception.

Citing examples like you did won't do us any good. It is as good as the new generation of Black people who claim to be getting "justice" for the slave trade era.  

eldee:

It's sad . . . notice how it's called the 'punitive expedition' . . . a gentler way to describe murder, massacre and robbery.
It's no different from the terms 'the great crusade', 'scramble for Africa' and most recent the 'war against terrorism'.

I saw that in the Metro this morning and what I wonder is why the Naija government is not taking this further. I have a feeling, there may be some history to it. That is, possible payments and back handers may have changed hands hence the silence.

I think recently, similar story happened with Iran and Iranian authorities made fuss about it. In the end, the British Museum had to compromise. I mean, it is still better than just keeping silent and let this auction go ahead.

If you go the British Museum, there is one on display. (I think I took a photo of it about 3 months ago) but it may have been a replica.

If only Atiku could put his thieving talent to good use on this, he would be assured of my very weighty vote.

woww.
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aguiyi:

good to know that  the masterpieces are where they are treasured,those in our museums (if we still have any)are in a sorry state so why struggle for what u cant maintain or appreciate.

Terrible situation with our art. Quite unfortunate!

ElRazur:

I saw that in the Metro this morning and what I wonder is why the Naija government is not taking this further. I[b] have a feeling, there may be some history to it. That is, possible payments and back handers may have changed hands hence the silence.[/b]

I think recently, similar story happened with Iran and Iranian authorities made fuss about it. In the end, the British Museum had to compromise. I mean, it is still better than just keeping silent and let this auction go ahead.

Quite possible

eldee:

That should be our choice shouldn't it??

Haha. You no fit look anyone in the face with that point.

Yes, I agree on the basis of principle that it should be **our choice**. Having said that, let us look at the various historical monuments or sites we have in naija and how much they are in a dilapidated state.

The first "Storey" building in naija. The pictures are shocking.

The rock in Egba, there really isn't much done to promote or protect such a heritage.

The confluence in Kogi state (Where river Niger and Benue meet) is nothing to write home about etc.

The first house that Mungo Park (??) built when he came to lokoja, it was in a state of disrepair last time I saw it. etc


Eldee, as I said, I agree in principle but I do not encourage theft either. It will be nice if my people fit look after things that have history and heritage behind them.

When you a have dead government who dont care less about the masses talkless of an ancient mask


Abeg next story

You are cold lol

I have a feeling, there may be some history to it. That is, possible payments and back handers may have changed hands hence the silence.

Is there any evidence that this mask was sold by Oba Ovonramwen to the British?
If any one has evidence please share.

^^^ Do you have evidence that it was NOT?

@Elrazur

Come on, yo know what's more annoying, this thing has been in one man's house for a century.
Like, it wasn't owned by the British Government or the British Museum, it's going to some stuck-up upper class landowners and their trustfund babies.
I think I'd rather have it burnt. . . maybe it's just emotions talking.

In my own opinion though, the Museums in Nigeria should be privatized, then people who make money off it will be force to do things like TV ads and organize paid exhibitions, less likely for things to run down.

Tippy Top:

If all else fails trying to recover this stolen masterpiece, the Fed Govt should place a bit.

I think our government is weak and lazy.just last month,an historic mesopotamia cuneiform was retrieved from the british and returned to Iran.we are just too poor when it comes to diplomacy.

@ chrisbenogor,

R u same as Ben Oghojafor of unilag?

Tippy Top:

Is there any evidence that this mask was sold by Oba Ovonramwen to the British?
If any one has evidence please share.

Read my statement again.

There were stories with looted African arts and oversea museum years back. I think there was some sort of agreement reached to protect those in museum all across the world. However, the "agreement" cannot be forced on private collectors.

This kind of arrangement allows the Oversea museum to share that "stolen loot" with the home nation so it can be displayed etc. I do however do not know the full details.

Anyway, as per my point, I am merely saying that I expect the Naija government to raise objections or some sort of protest before the auction. However, I am not sure anything has been said so far.

You pursue what you appreciate, sadly we don't appreciate the arts by the way we handle things in this country, hence I would support it stays in London. And yes I agree we privatize museums as well.

eldee:

@Elrazur

Come on, yo know what's more annoying, this thing has been in one man's house for a century.
Like, it wasn't owned by the British Government or the British Museum, it's going to some stuck-up upper class landowners and their trustfund babies.
I think I'd rather have it burnt. . . maybe it's just emotions talking.

In my own opinion though, the Museums in Nigeria should be privatized, then people who make money off it will be force to do things like TV ads and organize paid exhibitions, less likely for things to run down.

i guess thats a good price. the environment is corrupt so i dont blame anybody for going to that extend

big shame to this english people.

There is an online petition to stop the sale of this piece of our history and heritage:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/benin_mask/

Please sign it today!

eldee:

@Elrazur

Come on, yo know what's more annoying, this thing has been in one man's house for a century.
Like, it wasn't owned by the British Government or the British Museum, it's going to some stuck-up upper class landowners and their trustfund babies.
I think I'd rather have it burnt. . . maybe it's just emotions talking.

In my own opinion though, the Museums in Nigeria should be privatized, then people who make money off it will be force to do things like TV ads and organize paid exhibitions, less likely for things to run down.

I agree.

I think the whole "art collection thing" is a big market and usually features unknown billionaires with good connections. Most of them, upper class bastttttttttaaards lol.

From the history that I read on the one in the British museum, it was claimed that most of the oba of benin building was in a state of disrepair after some war or something and they british "explorer" did help to build part of it.  (Not that I believe the story sha) Having said that, there was a picture depicting the palace and was meant to be from the 18th century or something.

LA2:

There is an online petition to stop the sale of this piece of our history and heritage:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/benin_mask/

Please sign it today!

I am puzzled. Who exactly are you attempting to petition here? The Nigerian government? Or Sothebys?