Podcast Episode Summary
Podcast: New Books Network
Episode: Itohan I. Osayimwese, "Africa’s Buildings: Architecture and the Displacement of Cultural Heritage" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Dr. Miranda Melcher
Guest: Dr. Itohan Osayimwese

Overview

This episode features Dr. Itohan Osayimwese discussing her book Africa’s Buildings: Architecture and the Displacement of Cultural Heritage. The conversation explores how pieces of African architecture have been removed, fragmented, collected, and displayed in Western museums, and what that means for both the understanding of these objects and African cultural heritage. The interview covers the origins and evolution of Osayimwese’s research, theoretical interventions (such as her use of the concept “dismemberment”), the roles of new African museums, case studies of displaced objects, and the importance of terminology and linguistic intervention in cataloguing these collections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins & Motivation for the Book

[02:19]

• Osayimwese reflects on two decades of teaching African architectural history, contending with the lack of available images and materials for students.
• She noticed a persistent pattern: “only fragments of buildings tended to be captured in photography…and I started to wonder, you know, why it was that.”
• Her search led her to investigate why these fragments are more visible than complete structures and to trace the fate of architectural elements scattered in Western museums.

“...there is really a history that has not been told about pieces of African buildings that are now contained in museum collections and tend not to be seen or understood as architecture because they are only smaller pieces of larger buildings.” — Osayimwese [05:23]

2. Concept of "Dismemberment"

[07:31]

• The term "dismemberment" comes from a 19th-century German colonial source, describing how explorers obtained building fragments.
• Osayimwese uses this term to foreground the violence and intentionality behind the extraction and breaking up of African buildings.
• Applying this language makes visible the harm inherent in the collection and display practices of Western institutions.

“...it really reveals and brings to light a certain type of violence that had to happen in order for the objects that we now see from many, many non Western cultures…in museums in the Western world today.” — Osayimwese [09:34]

3. New African Museums (MCN & MOAA)

[13:18]

• Discussion of the Museum of Black Civilizations (MCN, Dakar, Senegal) and the Museum of West African Art (MOAA, Benin City, Nigeria).
• These museums are part of recent debates on restitution of African cultural heritage—prompted by the 2018 Sarr-Savoy report that estimated “90 to 95% of the entire African continent's material cultural heritage now resides…outside of the continent of Africa.” — Osayimwese [15:27]
• The MCN is described as “Pan-African” in spirit, aiming to reject the colonial model of the museum and to serve as a “thought center” hosting contemporary and traditional arts, as well as discourse.
• MOAA has a direct link to historic restitution efforts, especially regarding the Benin Bronzes looted in 1897, but its mission has shifted over time due to political and local challenges.

“The MCN in particular was conceived as a counter model to what many people describe as the colonial model of a museum.” — Osayimwese [22:14]

4. Object Case Studies (Chapter Two)

[43:53]
Osayimwese focuses on three sets of objects that exemplify architectural dismemberment:

• Dendera Zodiac (Louvre, Paris): Limestone ceiling from ancient Egypt violently removed by Napoleon’s soldiers.
• Fragments from Great Zimbabwe: Columns and wall sections taken from the medieval city, now scattered in museums in Europe and South Africa.
• Brass Snakes from Benin: Architectural roof elements, partially functional, now mostly in storage or display in the West.

She notes that these elements are now displayed as “artworks,” stripped of context and function.

“...in the process of removal, they lose their character as, you know, actual important, functional, in some cases structural pieces of buildings. And they come to be seen as just sort of mere art that has no function beyond, you know, aesthetic beauty.” — Osayimwese [50:04]

5. Chain Dismemberment & Its Impacts

[52:30]

• The removal of one item ignites further extractions, what Osayimwese calls “chain dismemberment,” often resulting in an entire genre or artist’s work vanishing from its place of origin.
• The absence of these elements disrupts cultural memory, local transmission of knowledge, and has negative economic consequences for the originating communities.
• Example: Swahili doors—recognizable as doors but lose meaning/context through mass removal.

“...one can start to think about the sort of global inequality of the world in relation to the location of, you know, material cultural heritage.” — Osayimwese [59:15]

6. Decontextualization & “Unspecified Building Parts”

[63:13]

• Many museum records simply label architectural fragments as “unspecified building parts,” highlighting the magnitude of loss, poor documentation, and lack of understanding about origins or functions.
• These labels point to ethical and scholarly shortcomings: “...if a museum has no idea what this thing is, one really has to question, like, what is the thing doing there?”

“I think the scope of the, of, of what happened and, and of the problem of thinking about what to do next. Because if a museum has no idea what this thing is, one really has to question, like, what is the thing doing there?” — Osayimwese [63:34]

7. Linguistic Intervention & Terminology

[67:39]

• Osayimwese calls for a linguistic and terminological correction, urging museums/scholars to use accurate architectural terms (e.g., “columns” instead of “posts”) and to incorporate indigenous names.
• Proper naming restores equivalency and dignity, countering decades of Western minimization and misunderstanding.

“For me, this refusal to label parts of African buildings using the very same terminologies that we use, you know, for other, other, especially Western histories, hints at and has caused, you know, great problems.” — Osayimwese [69:05]

• The use of local terms (e.g., recent exhibitions in Berlin) helps reconnect objects to their original context and meaning.

8. Looking Forward

[75:20]

• Osayimwese is now researching a 1972 heist of Yoruba veranda columns, intending to produce both nonfiction and possibly historical fiction tracing their mysterious disappearance.

“I am also planning to write a book that will most likely be a work of historical fiction that thinks about possible sort of histories, possible stories in terms of what happened to these objects.” — Osayimwese [76:27]

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:23 | Osayimwese | "...there is really a history that has not been told about pieces of African buildings that are now contained in museum collections..." | | 09:34 | Osayimwese | "...it really reveals and brings to light a certain type of violence that had to happen in order for the objects that we now see..." | | 15:27 | Osayimwese | "90 to 95% of the entire African continent's material cultural heritage now resides...outside of the continent of Africa." | | 22:14 | Osayimwese | "The MCN in particular was conceived as a counter model to what many people describe as the colonial model of a museum." | | 50:04 | Osayimwese | "...in the process of removal, they lose their character as...functional...structural pieces...and they come to be seen as just...art..." | | 59:15 | Osayimwese | "...one can start to think about the sort of global inequality of the world in relation to the location of...material cultural heritage." | | 63:34 | Osayimwese | "...if a museum has no idea what this thing is, one really has to question, like, what is the thing doing there?" | | 69:05 | Osayimwese | "For me, this refusal to label parts of African buildings using the very same terminologies...has caused, you know, great problems." | | 76:27 | Osayimwese | "...I am also planning to write a book that will most likely be a work of historical fiction that thinks about possible sort of histories..." |

Important Segment Timestamps

• Introduction & Osayimwese’s Background: [02:09–06:48]
• "Dismemberment" Concept: [07:31–12:38]
• Discussion of MCN & MOAA: [13:18–43:17]
• Object Case Studies: [43:53–50:47]
• Chain Dismemberment & Cultural/Economic Impact: [52:30–62:24]
• “Unspecified Building Parts” & Decontextualization: [63:13–66:58]
• Linguistic and Terminology Interventions: [67:39–75:00]
• Future Projects: [75:20–78:14]

Summary Table

| Section | Topics Covered | |--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Origins & Motivation | Problems with visualizing African architecture, leading to inquiry into fragments | | Dismemberment Concept | Violent removal process, language foregrounding violence and colonial extraction | | New African Museums | Roles of MCN and MOAA in restitution and redefining what museums can be in Africa | | Case Studies | Dendera Zodiac, Great Zimbabwe, Benin snakes as examples of displaced architecture | | Chain Dismemberment & Impact | Ongoing removal of objects, cultural memory disruption, economic and heritage loss | | Decontextualization in Western Museums | “Unspecified building parts,” poor documentation, ethical ramifications | | Linguistic Interventions | Restoring original and accurate architectural terminology; reclamation through naming | | Future Directions | Research on stolen Yoruba columns, potential historical fiction |

Concluding Thoughts

Dr. Itohan Osayimwese’s work challenges the way African architectural heritage is collected, classified, and understood in the West. By asserting the violence inherent in the removal and fragmentation of these buildings, critiquing museum practices, and insisting on linguistic precision and indigenous knowledge, she makes a strong case for a more ethical, context-aware approach to architectural history and heritage restitution. The episode provides nuanced insight for both specialist and general audiences—encouraging a rethinking of how African architecture is represented, studied, and, perhaps, one day, restored.