Museums need to return stolen antiquities

Artifacts that have been stolen have detrimental effects on the cultures and countries that have been robbed of their own heritage. The Benin Bronzes were stolen in 1897 from the palace of the king, the oba, of the Kingdom of Benin during a raid by the British military. These sculptures were the kingdom’s version of diaries and their written history meant to be preserved for thousands of generations. After slaughtering thousands, the British ransacked objects from the palace of the oba, lined them up neatly, photographed them, and a British officer, Captain Herbert Sutherland Walker, labeled these photographs, “loot” and “more loot” in his diary.

STORY CLEMENTINE EVANS

ILLUSTRATION ISOLE KIM

Antiquities from around the globe have been stolen and displayed in other countries’ museums, where they do not belong. Today, many museums such as the British Museum, the Field Museum in Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, possess a countless number of artifacts stolen from their countries of origin during colonial rule, many of which were looted during wars. These museums and institutions have evaded questions regarding whether or not they should repatriate these artifacts to their home countries, while continuing to hide behind excuses for hoarding them.

The main ‘concern’ and argument from museums retaining ownership over artifacts like the Koh-i-Noor diamond of India and the Benin Bronzes of modern-day Nigeria, are that these countries cannot properly take care of their own cultural antiquities. Countries that have stolen artifacts from those who should have rightful ownership over them have actually damaged the objects themselves. A report from the British Museum states that there was water leakage in the Greek section of the museum and, after the staff attempted cleaning the marbles with “wire brushes”, they had caused irreparable damage to the priceless sculptures. Museums’ carelessness have led to the damage of artifacts that should have never belonged to them.

Countries like Egypt, India, and Greece have had objects stolen from them and have been calling for their return for decades. Dorothy King, author of The Elgin Marbles, argued that Britain cannot even “think about returning the Elgin Marbles to Athens until the Greeks start caring for what they already have”. King then continued her patronization of Greece by saying, “If you know a mother was abusing her child, you would [not] let her adopt another.” This sentiment by King is just incorrect. This metaphor falsely assumes that the “mother” is simply requesting to adopt another “child” when, in actuality, she is demanding the return of her kidnapped one.

Museums claim to keep these artifacts to further the connections between visitors and other countries and cultures. However, one of the museums that continuously reassures people they are trying to do this, the British Museum, is built on foundations with ties to slavery. Sir Hans Sloane founded the British Museum in 1753. He was married to an heiress of many sugar plantations in Jamaica.

Slonae purchased a great deal of objects for his personal collection that he then donated to the British Museum upon its inauguration. He also bought many more artifacts for the museum with that same money. His collection also consisted of body parts, such as skulls and skin, of slaves that he had previously owned. Those were also part of the original collection at the British Museum. If this museum insists on their story of ‘connecting people and cultures’ then they are connecting people through collections of artifacts that were either stolen or bought with money earned through slavery.

To this day, museums and institutions have robbed countries of their heritage and culture. Museums that claim they want to use their collections to bond the world together have done the complete opposite. They have torn countries apart by stealing their history and treasured artifacts.