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2024 ‫מועד קיץ‬ - 49 - ‫ פרק שני‬- ‫אנגלית‬

Text II (Questions 18-22)

(1) In 1897, British colonial forces invaded the Kingdom of Benin, located in what is
now southern Nigeria. Within days, the British destroyed Benin City, bringing to an end
a kingdom that had thrived for centuries as one of West Africa's major powers. In the
course of their conquest, British troops looted at least 3,000 valuable objects, including

(5) statues, ceramics, masks, and over 1,000 intricately decorated plaques that adorned
ancestral altars and court buildings in the city's royal palace. More than a century later,
these artworks – now collectively known as the Benin Bronzes – are in the possession
of over 150 museums, institutions, and private collections around the world.

For many Nigerians today, the Benin Bronzes are a painful reminder of colonialism
(10) and its continued effects on African societies. For decades, Nigerian leaders and the

country's Legacy Restoration Trust (LRT) have advocated for the artifacts' return.
Nigerian-American artist Victor Ehikhamenor wrote an impassioned New York Times
op-ed on the subject in 2020. His essay concluded: "Generations of Africans have
already lost incalculable history and cultural reference points because of the absence of
(15) some of the best artworks created on the continent. We shouldn't have to ask, over and
over, to get back what is ours."

As a result of his and other intense efforts to secure the restoration of the Benin
Bronzes, several museums have declared their intention to relinquish the contested
treasures. In July 2022, an agreement was signed between Germany and Nigeria,

(20) transferring ownership of over 1,100 Bronzes currently in German museums to Nigeria.
Nevertheless, the path toward full repatriation of all the treasures remains protracted and
complex, with many museums around the world refusing even to discuss the issue.

A case in point is London's British Museum, which houses 900 looted Benin
objects – the largest collection of any institution in the world. The museum has,

(25) however, historically resisted public requests for the works' restitution. There is perhaps
a glimmer of hope (and admission of responsibility) in the 2021 statement issued by a
British Museum spokeswoman acknowledging that the Bronzes were taken in
circumstances of "devastation and plunder".

Questions

18. The main purpose of the first paragraph is to -

(1) present the background to Britain's conquest of the Kingdom of Benin
(2) introduce museum artifacts that were plundered from Benin
(3) provide an overview of Benin's artistic tradition
(4) explain how the Benin Bronzes got their name

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