The first comprehensive catalog was published on the Internet that lists the looted artworks of the Nigerian Kingdom of Benin, with the possibility of influencing greatly on the restoration of these elements from institutions all over the world.
The Digital Benin database determines more than 5,000 African artifacts that have become bright points in the controversy over whether Western cultural institutions should restore the cultural heritage captured during colonial periods, according to Art News.
Visitors to the site can also reach a set of oral stories narrated by artists and elders of Benin, which expand the importance of artworks of local art and culture.
The bronze pieces in Benin are a group of thousands of historical pieces that were taken from the royal palace in the Kingdom of Benin, in what is now known as Nigeria, during an exploratory trip in 1897 by the British forces.
It is worth noting, for decades, Benin launched calls to retrieve the artifacts inside and outside Nigeria, but in recent years, major restoration has been performed home.
In the past two years, Glasgow Museums, Smithsonian Foundation, and Metropolitan Museum of Arts have restored the works of Benin, and the German government has signed an agreement to transfer the ownership of more than 1,100 bronzes to Nigeria..
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