Benin Edo Head
Object or Group Name
Benin Edo Head
Case Summary
This 18th century terracotta Edo head is believed to have been taken from the family altar of a high-status brass casting family from Benin City, Nigeria in January 1990.
The terracotta head was among several items acquired by Charles Davis of the Davis Gallery (New Orleans) in 1990 that were sold that same year to collectors William and Bertha Teel of Marblehead, MA.
The Teels gifted several of these objects to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts in 1991, where they were displayed until 2014. The museum's provenance research raised questions about the acquisition and export of these objects by the Davis Gallery.
The Boston MFA deaccessioned this head and seven other objects on February 26th, 2014, and returned them to Nigeria after discussions with the National Commission of Museums and Monuments, Nigeria (NCMM).
The terracotta head was among several items acquired by Charles Davis of the Davis Gallery (New Orleans) in 1990 that were sold that same year to collectors William and Bertha Teel of Marblehead, MA.
The Teels gifted several of these objects to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts in 1991, where they were displayed until 2014. The museum's provenance research raised questions about the acquisition and export of these objects by the Davis Gallery.
The Boston MFA deaccessioned this head and seven other objects on February 26th, 2014, and returned them to Nigeria after discussions with the National Commission of Museums and Monuments, Nigeria (NCMM).
Number of Objects
1
Object Type
Sculpture – statues, carvings, bronzes, reliefs, figurines
Culture
Benin Kingdom, Nigeria
Private Collector
William and Bertha Teel
Museum Name
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum Accession Number
1991.1065
Receiving Country
Nigeria
Sources
Boston MFA’s Provenance Research Reveals The Illicit Trade In African Antiquities
http://chasingaphrodite.com/2014/07/30/boston-mfas-provenance-research-reveals-the-illicit-trade-in-african-antiquities/
MFA Boston. Head, Edo, Benin Kingdom, Nigeria, about 1750.
https://collections.mfa.org/objects/4709/head?ctx=b35bbd06-e568-479c-a33b-0abf05cda641&idx=0
MFA Boston. Antiquities and Cultural Property. 2014 - Nigeria
https://www.mfa.org/collections/provenance/antiquities-and-cultural-property
Images
https://chasingaphrodite.com/2014/07/30/boston-mfas-provenance-research-reveals-the-illicit-trade-in-african-antiquities/
MOLA Contributor(s)
Jason Felch; Damien Huffer
Peer Reviewed By
Damien Huffer
Citation
“Benin Edo Head,” Museum of Looted Antiquities, accessed October 14, 2024, https://mola.omeka.net/items/show/1002.