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MFA Receives Gift Of Rare African Art

Benin kingdom, Nigeria, 16th/€“17th century, Robert Owen Lehman Collection (Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
Benin kingdom, Nigeria, 16th/€“17th century, Robert Owen Lehman Collection (Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston received a trove of rare Western African art on Tuesday.

Together the objects make up the Robert Owen Lehman Collection. The gift includes six ivory and 28 bronze statues, forms, plaques and other historical pieces from the Kingdom of Benin in southern Nigeria, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

In a statement, MFA Director Malcolm Rogers said, “These treasures of Benin represent a highly significant addition to the MFA’s growing collection of African art.”

Museum visitors will be able to see the bronzes and ivories in 2013.

This program aired on June 28, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.

Headshot of Andrea Shea

Andrea Shea Correspondent, Arts & Culture
Andrea Shea is a correspondent for WBUR's arts & culture reporter.

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