Ethics
Other objects may have been seized, or even traded, from indigenous peoples whose descendants may wish for the return of items that to them have a great cultural and spiritual significance. And then there are those cases in which objects were removed with the agreement, at the time, of a country’s authorities, but in circumstances that today would not even be contemplated.
'Today there are strict rules for the import and export of cultural objects ...'
The most celebrated case is that of the Elgin Marbles, a decorative classical Greek frieze, now housed in the British Museum in London. It originally adorned the Parthenon in Athens, from where it was removed by Lord Thomas Elgin between 1803 and 1812. Greece has campaigned for the return of the marbles since its independence from Turkey in 1829, but all claims have been, and continue to be, rejected by the British Museum.
Today there are strict rules in Britain for the import and export of cultural objects from abroad, but the question of what to do about objects acquired in times gone by remains. If the role of national museums is, as stated by the British Museum, to ‘illuminate world cultures’ how could this be done if objects from around the world had to be returned to the country of their origin?
In a recent visit to the British Museum, Nelson Mandela did not demand that the museum’s spectacular collections of Benin bronzes should be returned to the country of their origin. He celebrated the fact that in London it was possible for the wider world to appreciate the artistic and cultural achievements of the African continent.
Published: 2005-01-24
