At National Museums NI, we acknowledge that key expertise and experiences for shaping Inclusive Global Histories come from beyond the museum.
Bida, a city in Niger State, Nigeria, is known for its brass, silver, and copper industries. In the Nupe language, Bida means ‘Let’s go – follow me’.
This plate may seem simple and unremarkable compared to the many other African objects in the collection at the National Museums of Northern Ireland. However, it holds great importance as it represents an opportunity to explore an object from a decolonial perspective and social justice focused approach.
The plate raises the question of whether using ammunition shell cases to make plates was common place in Bida, or is this an exception? Would blacksmiths have regularly collected ammunition shell cases as material? It obviously shows the abundance of ammunition cases at a point in Bida’s history.
One line of enquiry which is being explored is that the origins of the object may be the British-Bida Wars of 1897 Could the ammunition shells used in making the plate be part of the ammunition brought to Nigeria by the British during the war?1
If the ammunition cases from which this plate was made, were indeed from the 1897 British Bida war, the poetic justice of colonial objects in the museum will be significant.
This would mean ammunition cases made in Britain, were taken to Nigeria to be used by a British / Irish regiment for purposes of conflict. In Bida, Nigeria, they were then transformed into an ornamental plate and later brought back to Ireland, where the Ulster Museum classified it as African. An object originally meant for destruction was turned into something nurturing – a plate.
The history of the plate offers a clear example of decolonising museums by transforming symbols of historical injustice, which some African collections in museums in Europe represent, into tools for promoting social justice. This is achieved through reinterpreting collections, committing to reparations, and turning museums into platforms for dialogue.
In discussions around reparation of African objects in museums in Europe a key question is – who owns this plate? Britain, Ireland or Nigeria? The answer is that it can be rightfully claimed by all of them. It represents a complex and globally intertwined heritage and rather than being exclusively owned it is shared by all.
The decorative plate made from ammunition shells, collected in Bida, Nigeria is on display in the Inclusive Global Histories exhibition.
'Inclusive Global Histories' represents a commitment to decolonisation, diversity and inclusion at Ulster Museum.
Our Inclusive Global Histories Trail leads you through the Ulster Museum.
Collections engagement project for marginalised communities.
