1 20 1 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/77763/archive/files/4cb92606e3219b7fcb430f81f9dc0094.jpg?Expires=1779926400&Signature=XGGgo2gAaSisdpRJNUjWFdfdUdEkWlfmrGQ6G5uwbhd8QO6L332CnBRzHhvurN5WIZh3JTrz0NJ2H4BpZNnW-ChkpPMEnb58P4RUTukDxgypolYRU3jbGRF88d-y3ALHFxDQcLxriQp4YPEfqgoLIzfKu-WuH5H1DgLlNx1jMUS6y6cP%7E1Rd%7ESv7vElmVh2fO7jtIFm1X6-427EPqLFWtPjMcMGuj49sVQ4%7EXs9HzOWyYMJgbl8w5OHq5b%7Ep-vAQrgYSHQ0tpU5xPTfpjpElU9QNZlDHqhtPfHeOaV%7EbMOXEgtUTallRi4K1W25t7mARLPxyil-oBrC-9CBjCFHWUw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM b3032c6a84d301e718eed604ac1268ef Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Object or Group Name The common English name of the object or group of objects. Benin Bronze Cockerel Alternate Name(s) Other names by which the object or group is known; these may be formal titles, museum titles or colloquial titles, if different from the above Object or Group Name. The Okukor Case Summary Narrative summary of the object’s looting, identification by authorities and repatriation. In 2019, Jesus College at the University of Cambridge pledged to return this Okukor, a bronze cockerel taken by British colonial forces during the looting of the Benin empire, now part of Nigeria. The looting followed a punitive British naval expedition in 1897 that destroyed the city. Jesus College's bronze cockerel was donated in 1905 by George William Neville, a Naval officer with the Benin Expedition of 1897. As Neville left the city, a commandant who had been part of the expedition advised him to “push off as quickly as possible, as the fact of so many ancient heirlooms leaving the city may attract attention and possibly lead to molestation,” according to an account of the expedition by Zetterstrom-Sharp and Wingfield (2019). In 1905, Neville's son was a student at Jesus College, and thus the bronze cockerel took pride of place in the College dining hall. It was removed from display in 2016 after research and advocacy by the Legacy of Slavery Working Party (LSWP), who recommended it be returned. In an 11-page report to the college's student union, the campaigners argued that the statue needed to be returned to the "community from which it was stolen." The Okukor became one of the first Benin bronzes to be returned to Nigeria by a major British institution, and Jesus College decision to do so caused many other UK and regional institutions to follow suite or pledge to do so. Sonita Alleyne, the master of Jesus College, said the decision was not taken to “erase history” but came after historical and provenance research that investigated the legacy of slavery and the degree to which Jesus College and Cambridge University as a whole contributed to colonial activities. The return itself, like all Benin Bronze returns, carries immense cultural importance. As the oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, stated “We are indeed very pleased and commend Jesus College for taking this lead in making restitution for the plunder that occurred in Benin in 1897.” Institutions around the world retain various other examples of Benin Bronzes taken during the sack of Benin City, even as public pressure builds. Number of Objects Count of objects reflected in this record. 1 Object Type Type of object based on its function. Select from drop-down list. Sculpture – statues, carvings, bronzes, reliefs, figurines Object Materials Material(s) that the object or group of objects is made of. Select from drop-down list. Bronze Country of Origin The modern country of origin that this object came from (i.e. where it was found). Select from drop-down list. Nigeria Culture Ancient culture associated with the object. Kingdom of Benin Findspot Approximate site or location where the object was found (i.e. the archaeological provenience). Kingdom of Benin Date Looted Approximate year that the object or group of objects was excavated or stolen. 1897 Alleged Looter Person(s) who removed the object from the findspot or original location. British Navy Repatriated? Repatriation status of the object. Select from drop-down list. Yes Year Returned Year of the return of the object to its country of origin. 2021 Sending Country Country from which the object was returned during repatriation. Select from drop-down list. UK Returning Entity Institution or individual that returned the object to its country of origin (not a law enforcement agency). Cambridge University Receiving Country Country that received the object during repatriation. Select from drop-down list. Nigeria Reason for Return Why the object was returned. Select from list: Law enforcement seizure; court ordered civil forfeiture; claim from country of origin; voluntary return absent a forfeiture or claim; or other. Voluntary return absent a forfeiture or claim Criminal Behaviors Alleged Criminal behavior associated with the case. Please select all that apply. Colonial looting Sources Reliable sources of information related to the object and its repatriation. Preference to primary sources (court records, documents, archival sources) and authoritative secondary sources (media reports, blogs etc.). For links, use a stable URL via Internet Archive. Cambridge college to be first in UK to return looted Benin bronze <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/15/cambridge-college-to-be-first-uk-return-looted-benin-bronze">https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/15/cambridge-college-to-be-first-uk-return-looted-benin-bronze</a> Cambridge University's Jesus College bronze cockerel to be returned <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-58927240">https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-58927240</a> Jesus votes in cockerel row <a href="https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/9877">https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/9877</a> Images Source of the images uploaded to this record. Images should be labeled A, B, C, etc. For links, use a stable URL via Internet Archive. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/15/cambridge-college-to-be-first-uk-return-looted-benin-bronze">https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/15/cambridge-college-to-be-first-uk-return-looted-benin-bronze</a> Status Completion status of MOLA record. Select from drop-down list: Stub (Needs basic research), Incomplete (Missing key fields), In progress (Has been assigned), Ready for review (Complete; awaiting peer review) and Completed (Ready to publish). Only Completed records are made Public. Completed See Also Additional records within MOLA that are other objects of interest. These are objects related to a larger collection. Breakout records have omitted 2024 Value information and Number of Objects. <a href="https://mola.omeka.net/items/show/2163">Capt Herbert Walker Returns to Benin</a> Description of Object(s) Provide a brief description of the object or objects in the record. A statue of male chicken cast using a lost wax process, modelled with comb, tail and spurs, and incised patterns representing feathers, mounted on a large square base which was often decorated with a guilloche pattern. Size General size of the object (numbered 1-5); 1 - small or fragmentary (e.g. coins or sherds) 2 - medium (e.g. most vases) 3 - large (e.g. between a bread box and an adult) 4 - extra large (i.e. adult human sized) 5 - monumental (larger than an adult human) 2 Creation Date Year this object was created, in years BCE/CE; use circa if presenting a range. Use specific year, decade or century. c. late 1800s C.E. or before Alleged Smuggler Person(s) who moved the object out of its country of origin. Possibly George William Neville Expert Review Person(s) who analyzed the object or wrote about its authenticity, value or significance. Include here credit to people who identified the object as looted (relevant publications can be listed in Sources). Legacy of Slavery Working Group, Cambridge University Current Location Place where the object is currently held. Provide as much information as possible (Institution, City and Country, when known). National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), also known as the National Museum of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria Image Captions Write a brief caption for each image included, providing context for what is shown. Images should be labeled A, B, C, etc. The Okukor was taken from the kingdom of Benin in 1897 when thousands of bronzes were looted by British forces (photograph c/o Chris Loades) MOLA Contributor(s) Person(s) who contributed to the information in this record. Anonymous is an acceptable entry. Damien Huffer Peer Reviewed By Person who peer reviewed this record. Jason Felch Museum Donation or Purchase? How did the museum acquire the object(s)? Select from drop-down list. Donation Operation Name The trafficking network, or the name given to investigation by law enforcement entity. Benin Bronzes Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Benin Bronze Cockerel Nigeria University of Cambridge