Benin Bronze Cockerel
Object or Group Name
Benin Bronze Cockerel
Case Summary
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.
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.
See Also
Number of Objects
1
Object Type
Sculpture – statues, carvings, bronzes, reliefs, figurines
Culture
Kingdom of Benin
Receiving Country
Nigeria
Sources
Cambridge college to be first in UK to return looted Benin bronze
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/15/cambridge-college-to-be-first-uk-return-looted-benin-bronze
Cambridge University's Jesus College bronze cockerel to be returned
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-58927240
Jesus votes in cockerel row
https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/9877
MOLA Contributor(s)
Damien Huffer
Peer Reviewed By
Jason Felch
Citation
“Benin Bronze Cockerel,” Museum of Looted Antiquities, accessed October 14, 2024, https://mola.omeka.net/items/show/2162.