The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case seeking to block the Smithsonian Institution from returning 29 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. The decision leaves in place a lower court ruling that allowed the Smithsonian to proceed with repatriation, marking a victory for the institution amidst growing global pressure to return looted cultural artifacts.
Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, leader of the Restitution Study Group (RSG), had filed the petition, arguing that these bronzes, looted from the Kingdom of Benin by British forces in 1897, are also part of the cultural heritage of African Americans descended from slaves.
She contends that returning them to Nigeria denies these descendants access to their history. Both a district court and an appeals court rejected her arguments, and now the Supreme Court, without explanation, has done the same.
Bruce Afran, attorney for RSG, expressed disappointment but signaled that the fight isn’t over. “We will continue to challenge the Smithsonian’s ability to unilaterally repatriate art without public or Congressional oversight,” he said. A Smithsonian spokesperson responded succinctly, stating that “the case is closed.”
The Benin Bronzes, numbering in the thousands, became emblematic of colonial plunder after British forces raided the Kingdom of Benin, dispersing the artifacts across Western museums. In 2022, the Smithsonian joined other institutions in returning a portion of its collection, a move hailed as both ethically necessary and a model for future restitution efforts.
Lonnie G. Bunch III, Smithsonian’s secretary, called the repatriation “the right thing to do,” highlighting how collaboration with origin countries benefits all by deepening the understanding of shared cultural heritage.
Despite the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene, the debate over repatriation, ownership, and the rightful place of these stolen treasures remains far from settled.
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