In an extraordinary move, MFA to return prized African art to wealthy donor and close gallery
That has put the MFA, which owns just a handful of the exhibited objects but had been promised the rest, in a difficult position. It has been seeking to broker an ethical ownership agreement for a collection it does not yet own, perhaps transferring title to the royal court in exchange for a long-term loan of the objects.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
'It's really not appropriate for us to bring them into the collection,' said Victoria Reed, the museum's senior curator for provenance. 'But that means that we do not own them, and therefore we don't have control over them.'
The tortuous negotiations seemingly dissipated last week when donor Robert Owen Lehman asked the museum to give him back the disputed bronzes, an extraordinary move that will require the MFA to close its
Advertisement
Portuguese Soldier from the 16th century.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
'We're all sad in contemplating this outcome,' said MFA director and chief executive Matthew Teitelbaum. 'There's no moment of celebration or resolution that feels fully satisfying.'
Teitelbaum, who described the return as a 'mutual agreement,' said the museum found itself in unusual circumstances. He added that Lehman,
whose eponymous foundation recently lost
'We were trying to get to a point where the court could assume ownership, and we could ensure display,' said Teitelbaum, who added the museum had been negotiating with the royal palace. 'We were making some progress, but without any certainty of outcome.'
Lehman, an award-winning filmmaker and banking heir, did not respond to a request for comment. A woman who answered the phone at a number under Lehman's listing said she was 'quite certain he has no comment.'
Lehman originally brokered the promised gift of 30-odd objects in 2012 with then-director Malcolm Rogers. They structured the gift so that individual Bronzes, which date from the 16th century on, would formally enter the museum's collection on a staggered timetable.
Today, the MFA has clear title to five of the artworks, which it will retain for the time being. It plans to return the 29 other Bronzes to Lehman once staffers have deinstalled the gallery, which is set to close on April 28th. The museum will also return two objects from Sierra Leone that were part of the initial pledge.
Reed said that although it's not the outcome the museum had hoped for, it also simplifies the MFA's path ahead.
Advertisement
'What was a very complicated situation has now become far less complicated,' she said. 'It positions us now to talk about the five objects that we own, and look towards a resolution that is more in alignment with our stated principles and institutional values.'
This relief plaque showing two officials with raised swords, c. 1530‑1570, is among the works already donated to the MFA.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Benin Kingdom -- as opposed to the modern country of Benin, which borders Nigeria -- was a powerful West African force in the 19th Century. But after a group of British officials was killed during a trade dispute in 1897, Britain launched a so-called punitive expedition. Using boats and early machine guns, soldiers slaughtered untold numbers before sacking the royal palace and looting thousands of Bronzes, virtuosic works that eventually spread to an estimated 160 museums.
The MFA's collection of the bronzes has always posed a problem for the museum. Less than a month after it announced the gift in 2012, Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments demanded the museum return the works.
'We have every right in the world to own these beautiful pieces,' Rogers told the Globe at the time.
Separately, Rogers approached the royal court, where the oba, or king, authorized the MFA's installation. The oba, who died in 2016, dispatched emissaries to attend the gallery's 2013 opening, though he did not weigh in on the museum's long-term ownership of the Bronzes.
Rogers, who retired from the MFA in 2015, did not respond to an interview request.
The current oba, Ewuare II, has been outspoken about the Bronzes' return, and in recent years numerous museums, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and some German institutions have moved to repatriate the looted objects.
Advertisement
Those efforts have been complicated by the question of where in Nigeria
the restituted objects should go. Museums had negotiated for years with the Nigerian
National Commission for Museums and Monuments. But Nigeria sowed confusion in 2023, when it formally recognized the oba as
'There is no more ambiguity,' Commission head Olugbile Holloway told Reuters in February. 'The Oba has given the NCMM the blessing.'
Commemorative head of an Oba, from the late 16th century. The MFA will close its Benin Kingdom Gallery on April 28.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Teitelbaum said that although the MFA has been in conversation with the royal court, the Nigerians have never submitted a renewed ownership claim.
'We initiated the conversations with the court in response to the international context,' he said.
Teitelbaum added that the museum 'paused' Lehman's promised gift in 2021 -- indefinitely tabling the formal acquisition of more Bronzes -- though it continued to exhibit them in the dedicated gallery.
Kelly Hays, who directs the MFA's Gifts of Art program, said it's exceedingly rare for a donor and the museum to amend or rescind a pledge.
'They are legally binding enforceable pledges, and we take that seriously,' said Hays, who estimated that fewer than 10 pledges have been altered over the years. 'This one has the appearance of being unusual just because of the circumstances, the nature of the collection, and the fact that it's been on view in a gallery.'
Teitelbaum said the museum will offer free admission Thursday so visitors can see the Bronzes one last time.
In June, the museum plans to display the five Bronzes in its collection. (It will also display one on loan from Lehman, a commemorative head that left the Kingdom before the 1897 attack.)
Advertisement
'We are going to tell the story of objects we have with commitment and with a real sense of pride,' said Teitelbaum, 'but there is no doubt there is a loss.'
Malcolm Gay can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Soak in the views — and the champagne — at Bubble Bath
The interior at Bubble Bath, with telescopes in the windows and bubble-themed decor. Erin Clark/Globe Staff The backstory: This is the second Bubble Bath. The first branch of the champagne and wine bar is located in downtown food hall High Street Place, where Faison's Big Heart Hospitality also runs seafood-focused Dive Bar and retro pizza joint Tenderoni's. Bubble Bath's menu is a kindred spirit to that at Faison's 'adult snack bar,' Fool's Errand; if you frequented her now-closed Orfano, you may recognize the cheeky name plates on the bathroom stalls. Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up The lobster bun, a classic roll writ small, is among the snacks served at Bubble Bath. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Advertisement What to eat: The menu delivers big flavors in small portions, starting with a list of 'fancy lil sammies': the lobster bun, a miniaturized take on a classic roll dressed in sherry aioli; the butter and Gruyere, a luxe grilled cheese, made luxe-er if you add on a shaving of summer truffles. The 'chilled & dressed' section of the menu serves the likes of steak tartare tonnato, tomato and plum salad with burrata, and Greek salad 'sculls,' cucumbers sliced lengthwise into boats prettily loaded with feta, tomatoes, and herbs. 'Warm & roasty' offerings include crispy cod cheeks on shiso leaves, summer vegetables from the Copley farmers' market over pesto, and a more-substantial steak frites. Or head straight for the caviar: white sturgeon, Sevruga, or Osetra. If you want to splash out, call for caviar cart 'tea service,' which brings you 125 grams of the stuff with Spanish potato chips, toast points, mini biscuits, and DIY cannoli, plus all the trimmings. The evening ends with Dum-Dums lollipops served with the check. Advertisement Views of the city from the rooftop patio at Bubble Bath. Erin Clark/Globe Staff What to drink: The cocktail list bears potions with one-word names (divas!). The Char brings together spicy and herbal notes with grapefruit and mezcal; the Miel features cognac, honey, and bubbles. And bubbles feel right here on the rooftop, especially with caviar. There are several options by the glass, from capital C Champagne to Italian pet-nat, along with a list of bottles. The wine selection runs the gamut from funky (orange wine from Mexico) to impeccably classic (white Burgundy). Vodka service is available, too. Greek salad "sculls": cucumber boats topped with feta, herbs, and more. Erin Clark/Globe Staff The takeaway: This corner of Newbury Street, hovering over the highway at Mass Ave, languishes no longer. In addition to the citizenM and Bubble Bath, Peruvian restaurant Rosa y Marigold is on its way from the team behind Celeste and La Royal, and New York-based Avra Group will open an estiatorio, bringing more 'refined Greek cuisine' to a city already rich with it. Everything in its time. But champagne, caviar, and stellar views are eternal, and Bubble Bath is a stylish spot in which to indulge. 408 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston. . Dishes $10-$29, caviar $90-$495, cocktails $17-$22. Caviar cart "tea service." Erin Clark/Globe Staff Devra First can be reached at
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Boston Globe
Quoting Conan O'Brien, rogue sign in Charlestown compares Zakim Bridge to part of male anatomy
Advertisement 'I never saw this bridge growing up,' he said in the segment. 'You want to remind me of my childhood, make a shirt that shows my father knocking a hot dog out of my hand because Jim Rice dropped a fly ball.' The bridge was built nearly two decades after he left Boston for late-night fame, O'Brien said, carrying 'just a stick with a little bundle on the back.' He added that the design, completed in 2003, is 'very phallic.' On Wednesday, passersby said they hadn't given the Zakim, which carries Interstate 93 over the Charles River, a second thought — at least until they saw the sign. Declan Rose, 20, said he didn't see the resemblance 'until you mentioned it.' 'And now I do see it,' he said. Advertisement Adrian Lamar, visiting from Grand Rapids, Mich., said he passed by the sign twice before he realized what it was getting at. 'The first time I looked at it and read it, I didn't fill in the symbols,' he said. 'And the second time, I tried to make up a happy word. Because I think the bridge looks great.' Some Charlestown residents saw the sign as a source of amusement, like 71-year-old Hal Rudnick, who said that, in this day and age, 'we can all use a laugh.' But Rudnick admitted that the sign might make for some uncomfortable conversations on the busy span, which connects Charlestown and the North End and runs alongside the Freedom Trail. Julie and Adrian LaMar, of Grand Rapids, Mich., pose with the sign featuring a quote by Conan O'Brien. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff 'There's a lot of tourists here, and a lot of tourists got young kids,' he said. 'And now they gotta explain what [the sign] says and what it means, and I don't know if this is the place for that.' At least some think it should be taken down. 'I don't think it's an appropriate sign,' said John Pezzuto, 70. 'Especially when little kids are going by.' Pezzuto, who said he often crosses the bridge, seemed skeptical of the sign's message. 'I don't know,' he said. 'I guess it could look like that.' It's not clear who put up the sign, which looks quite official and at least somewhat expensive to make, or when. City officials did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday, nor did the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which helped build the Bill Russell Bridge. Representatives for O'Brien and for Team Coco, his production company, also did not return a request for comment. Completed as part of the Big Dig, the Zakim Bridge was hailed as an engineering marvel upon its completion. It was designed by Swiss architect Christian Menn, along with Miguel Rosales of Boston, as the alternative to a gargantuan interchange of 18 to 20 lanes, an idea that state planners ultimately abandoned due to community opposition. Advertisement Menn has since died; Rosales did not return a request for comment. Rudnick said that he watched Conan O'Brien occasionally but admitted that 'his humor's not my humor.' Jokes aside, he said he didn't agree with 'what it's saying' about the bridge. 'Tell Conan to get out of Brookline, come over to Charlestown, and we'll talk about what he thinks of the bridge,' he joked. Lamar, visiting from Michigan, suggested that the observation could only be made by a comedian like O'Brien. 'Whatever Conan tried to put into that, I didn't get it,' he said, laughing. 'Conan has some issues.' Pat Greenhouse of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
Boston Globe
7 days ago
- Boston Globe
At a studio promoting careers for those with disabilities, he uses art to express what his words won't
'I like the opportunities that they give to discover and try different art and different things that I never tried before,' he said of Gateway. In July, the agency moved to a new space on Station Street in Brookline, which includes a store selling artwork (Gateway artists receive a 50 percent commission), an expanded gallery space, and several communal studios. Advertisement Richards's art practice helps him express feelings he can't always find words for. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'When I try to talk to people, it's not coming out the way the words are coming out,' he said in a Gateway video. 'But when I do it with my art, it makes much more sense.' A mixed-media piece by artist Darryl Richards at Vinfen's Gateway Arts in Brookline. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Where to find him : Age : 32 Originally from : Boston Lives in : Stoughton Making a living : Richards, who lives with his mother, takes commissions from private buyers. He sells his art through Gateway and his own website, Artist Darryl Richards holds a painting called 'Sun Bloom Flowers' at Vinfen's Gateway Arts in Brookline. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Studio : Every artist has their own workspace in Gateway's communal studios. At his, Richards keeps a sketchbook with realistic portraits of characters from movies, along with recently finished works. He also makes art in his bedroom at home. Advertisement How he started : In an afterschool program when he was 5, Richards met a teacher, Mr. Black, who was a street artist. 'I said, 'You know, I want to try and do that,'' Richards remembers. 'He got me a piece of paper and I asked him, 'Can you teach me how to draw?' He taught me how to draw a face first. He had to draw the guidelines to where the nose, the eyes, the mouth is, and the ears. He broke it down piece by piece.' His first effort, he said, was drawing the anime character Lino cuts called 'Flowers Bloom' by artist Darryl Richards at Vinfen's Gateway Arts in Brookline. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff What he makes : Richards 'likes the feeling of' color, he said. A recent anime-style patterned painting in vibrant pink depicts a man and a woman. It tells a story: 'This is me as a warrior that's basically protecting these people in this land,' Richards said. 'And I die in battle. She is the goddess of the wilderness, and she collected me to take me home in peace and Paradise.' How he works : 'I look at the gradients when I'm drawing people,' Richards said. 'I draw first and then I get the color down.' Advice for artists : 'To be an artist, you have to study. Learn hard. Be patient, and work at your best,' he said. 'The more you work on your art, the more you accomplish.' Artist Darryl Richards picks up a ball of yarn as he works to create a tufted rug at Vinfen's Gateway Arts in Brookline. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
