Museums of Cruelty: Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence, and Cultural Restitution

Imagine that the worst crime against humanity repeats itself over and over again — every morning when the lights are turned on in museums around the world. Dan Hicks, an archaeologist and curator of the famous Pitt Rivers ethnographic museum in Oxford, aims to debunk the myth of political neutrality and moral nobility in the treasure troves of world culture. Through the example of hundreds of artworks stolen by British colonizers from the palace of the ruler of the Benin Kingdom, now adorning dozens of museums across Europe, he ruthlessly exposes the logic of empire that transformed sacred objects into commodities and the looting of an entire kingdom into a “humanitarian mission.” This is an investigative book, a book of accusation, and finally, a call to action.