National Museum to review items that have 'violent colonial context'

Benin Bronzes are among the items discussed for repatriation. File Picture: Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa via AP

The National Museum wants to examine its collections to flag items that have a "violent colonial context" or are "especially culturally sensitive".

The museum said elements of its vast collection would never be acquired today and work is needed to determine their history and provenance.

However, efforts have been slowed by a lack of qualified staff and difficulties in accessing parts of their enormous collections.

The National Museum plans to hire a curator early next year to begin the process.

In an internal strategy document, the museum said a focus would be their ethnographical collection, which consists of 15,000 objects, mostly acquired between 1760 and 1914.

It said they reflected "Irish exploration of the world from the 18th century to the present day" and Ireland’s role within the British empire. Items from North and South America, Africa, Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia all need examination.

The strategy document said: "The repatriation of such objects forms part of ongoing debate, as does engagement with indigenous communities and communities connected to these collections living in Ireland." 

Also to be examined are the museum’s Asian art collections, some of which were given by donors involved in military activity in the region.

The National Museum said the greatest barrier to their work was a "lack of staff" . There is no dedicated curator for these collections.

The strategy document said the museum needs to work out how to prioritise items for examination, starting with objects that were significant or often requested for loan or exhibition. Next would be items that were culturally sensitive or have a violent colonial context.

There would also be examination of items about which there have already been discussions for repatriation, including the so-called Benin Bronzes. The world-famous collection of plaques and sculptures decorated a royal palace in what is now Nigeria and was looted by British forces.

The document said the museum needs to be mindful of the "complexity of colonial contexts and how these objects came to the museum".

Asked about the draft strategy, the National Museum said this summer it had adopted a new principle on repatriation and the collections they held.

They said: "Like many museums with their origins in the 19th century, [we have] legacy collections that do not reflect contemporary collecting practices or ethics.

"The repatriation or restitution of objects within these collections forms an important element of an overall process of decolonisation at the [museum]." 

They said recruitment of a curator with expertise in this area was a key move and they hoped to have this new position in place by early next year.