Restitution Study Group Responds to Museum Rietberg Transfer of Benin Bronzes Museum Rietberg Benin Bronzes made from melted blood metal manilla currency transferred to Nigeria on behalf of the Oba of Benin Kingdom today. New York, NY — March 20, 2026 — The Restitution Study Group expressed deep disappointment over the decision to transfer Benin bronzes …
Humboldt Forum Milestone: Afrodescendant Video Joins Benin Bronze Installation
Video link: https://youtube.com/shorts/z2nnL2jcQ7E?si=qFErs7z0aiLcFOGT London/New York - February 16, 2026 - The Humboldt Forum formally installed an Afrodescendant video panel within its Benin Bronze exhibition — a historic expansion of representation inside one of Europe’s most prominent museum spaces. The new screen joins approximately ten existing video installations in the gallery, most featuring perspectives from the Benin …
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RSG Launches Second Benin Bronze-Making Fellowship
Zainab “Zai” Aliyu Dana-Marie Bullock Julian Frost Kalindah Laveaux Kim Poole Rylee "Ry" Erin Watkins https://www.youtube.com/embed/sofpRkTeDMU?feature=oembed RSG 2nd Cohort of Benin Bronze-Making Fellows: Orientation 2026 January 12, 2026 | New York, NY — The Restitution Study Group (RSG) and Afrodescendant Trust Fund announce the launch of the Second Cohort of their Benin Bronze-Making Fellowship, an …
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AfroKrypto NFT Launched by Restitution Groups: A Creative Digital Bridge Between Art, Identity, and Justice
https://youtube.com/shorts/40QO42mO5vQ?si=2klUk_TC3OZK_uxi New York -- December 27, 2025 -- The first day of Kwanzaa 2025, the Restitution Study Group and the Afrodescendant Fund unveil AfroKrypto, a vibrant limited-edition NFT and merch project where Black Power meets Pop Art. Rooted in the history of the Maangamizi manilla (slave-trade currency/ethnocide currency), AfroKrypto transforms a painful legacy into bold, …
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RSG Acquires Rare 17th-Century Benin Bronze Cockerel: Seeks Support for Comprehensive Provenance Study and More New York, NY — December 2, 2025 — The Restitution Study Group (RSG) announces the acquisition of an authentic early 17th-century Benin Bronze cockerel and the launch of a comprehensive scientific investigation into its origins and historical significance. The bronze was …
RSG Responds to Chaos at Benin City Museum Opening
Benin City is in turmoil following the disrupted opening of the new Museum of West African Art (MOWAA). Amid this intensifying debate, BBC Newsday and BBC World News: Focus on Africa asked the Restitution Study Group (RSG) to share our perspective on the Benin Bronzes, their origins, and their future. BBC WORLD NEWS INTERVIEWS 1. BBC World News: Focus …
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Ancestral Dedication at British Museum
On sacred ground and in sacred company, we gathered at the British Museum to honor our ancestors and their surviving offspring — those whose lives were traded for the metal manilla currency that became the Benin Bronzes. Witness Benin Kingdom Museum Fellow Jirah Joshua’s powerful artistic tribute from London. This is the beginning of a …
Nick Merriman Steps Down Amid Controversy Over Benin Bronzes Transfer
Nick Merriman’s sudden resignation as Chief Executive of English Heritage comes not only after a tumultuous 18 months marked by staffing cuts and restructuring, but also amid lingering concerns over his handling of the Horniman Museum’s return of Benin bronzes to Nigeria. While heralded by some as a moral act of restitution, Merriman’s oversight of …
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The Met Rewrites History, Restitution Study Group Writes the Future
Restitution Study Group and The Met Celebrate Historical Strides The Restitution Study Group celebrates two historic breakthroughs in our global reparatory justice campaign. On May 31st, the Benin Kingdom Museum Bronze-Making Fellows completed the first-ever Oba Head born out of unity—a powerful act of ancestral remembrance, cultural skill, and community collaboration. The Fellowship was made …
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Restitution Study Group 