Restitution Study Group | September 2026 Derivative collage © 2026 Restitution Study Group Movements do more than change laws, policies and institutions. They can change the questions scholars ask. For decades, the contemporary restitution debate surrounding the Benin Bronzes was framed primarily as a dispute between Western institutions holding objects taken during Britain’s 1897 invasion …
ILLINOIS PASSES BENIN BRONZE REPATRIATION RESOLUTION
Measure Advances Afrodescendant Inclusion and Cultural Stewardship Chicago, Illinois / New York, New York — The Restitution Study Group (RSG) congratulates Representative Carol Ammons on the May 25, 2026 passage of Illinois House Resolution 211 (HR211), a significant measure recognizing the historical significance of the Benin Bronzes and establishing a framework for dialogue, stewardship, preservation, …
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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 …
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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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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Boston Globe Letter to Editor
Benin bronzes should be entrusted to descendants of the enslaved Thank you for your editorial on the Benin bronzes (“At the Museum of Fine Arts, a chance for justice,” April 27). However, calling for the repatriation of the plundered artworks to Nigeria erases the descendants of the enslaved Africans whose lives paid for these artifacts. …
Museum Rietberg Adds Slave Trade Origin of Benin Bronzes to Exhibit
ZÜRICH, Switzerland — In a groundbreaking development for cultural heritage dialogue, Museum Rietberg has expanded its Benin Bronzes exhibition to include crucial perspectives from the Restitution Study Group (RSG), marking a significant step toward the inclusive stewardship of these historic artifacts. The exhibition, which concludes on February 16, 2025, now features a dedicated panel highlighting the …
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New Video
Opening Session of Historic Benin Kingdom Museum Bronze-Making Fellowship https://youtu.be/nH69BN7mxvY Benin Kingdom Museum Bronze Making-Fellows. On January 11, 2025, at 11 a.m. ET, the Restitution Study Group (RSG) hosted the opening session of the Benin Kingdom Bronze-Making Fellowship, moderated by RSG Founder and Executive Director Deadria Farmer-Paellmann. The session featured special remarks by His Highness …
Restitution Study Group Announces Inaugural Fellowship Program in Bronze Making
New York, NY — The Restitution Study Group (RSG), a New York-based 501(c)(3) slavery reparatory justice institute, is proud to announce the launch of the Benin Kingdom Museum Bronze Making Fellowship Program—a groundbreaking initiative to preserve and educate about the artistry and historical legacy of Benin Kingdom bronze making, rooted in the transatlantic slave trade. …
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Restitution Study Group Takes Corporate Complicity and Slavery to Cannes with Explosive New Film New York, NY – May 19, 2024 – The Restitution Study Group (RSG) is set to make waves at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival with their groundbreaking film, Dry Bones: Corporate Complicity and Slavery. The short documentary film trailer, financed by a …
