• Patrimony: This refers to an inheritance from past generations, often related to cultural heritage, such as artworks and artefacts.

• Repatriation: This involves returning stolen or lost art and artefacts to their countries or cultures of origin.

• Redistribution of Art: This entails transferring ownership of artworks, usually from concentrated institutions, like museums, back to the cultures that produced them.

Art, culture, and history are intertwined. This is evident in how we treat and perceive art from different cultures. But when these artworks and artefacts are stolen, misrepresented, or misappropriated, ethical and cultural issues arise.

The text uses the case of the Benin Bronzes to illustrate these points.

In 1897, the British Imperial Navy launched a punitive expedition against the Kingdom of Benin. They looted artwork from the Royal Palace, including the Benin Bronzes, which ended up in collections across Europe. This raised the profile of African art, transforming the designation of these from 'primitive' to just simply 'art'. However, this change of perspective wasn't simple. The text highlights the cognitive dissonance experienced by European admirers of the Benin Bronzes, and the evolution of the perception of African art from 'primitive' to 'art'.