STOLEN: The Lost Treasures of a Continent
Artifacts Stolen from Africa
With colonization and slave trade, came not only the looting of bodies but also the looting of treasure in the form of sacred art and effigies from the continent of Africa. The discussion around creating a comprehensive dossier of these artifacts, whether these artifacts should be returned and if so who should they be returned to has been ongoing for several years. So much so that multiple organizations that specialize in and advocate for the repatriation of African Artifacts have been created. In 2018, Emmanuel Macron the French President commissioned a study to investigate how much African Art is held in France and to also gather recommendations on what the next step forward should be. The result of this study is the Sarr-Savoy Report On the Restitution of African Cultural Heritage, Toward a New Relational Ethics. The report was met with mixed reactions.
Much like an account of humans taken from the African continent, there isn't a comprehensive list of artifacts that were taken. The stories surrounding some of these treasure is also suspect, from ancient giftings to a purchaser purchasing it from a purchaser (see what I did there? that’s how my brain feels). Whatever the story, some more well-known artifacts are still in existence worldwide. Here are some of the well-known artifacts:
