Update to museum guidelines could see British Museum with no choice but to return Parthenon Marbles

As the fight for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to their rightful home in Greece continues, there seems to be some hope on the horizon.

Part of the Parthenon sculptures currently housed at the British Museum
[Credit: WikiCommons]

British museums could face fines if they do not return pieces in their collections taken from other countries, reports the Daily Mail.

With demands for repatriation from various countries expected to rise, Arts Council England is seeking to update its current guidelines, which it claims are out of date.

The council has asked experts to bid for a £42,000 contract that will see guidelines updated to assist museums in deciding which treasures should be returned, including the Parthenon Marbles, an aboriginal shield and Ethiopian sacred tablets, among others.

The contract would be put together based on a review of existing research and evidence, as well as extensive consultation with practitioners and stakeholders across and beyond the UK museum sector “to identify key challenges, opportunities, practical and ethical issues and examples of best practice in the UK and internationally,” reads the advert, highlighting that there are “increasing calls for action by museums to address this”.

The contract, expected to be enforced next month, will also include assistance for museums from experts to deal with media attention, government policies and the future of artefacts with no value.

“The aim is to encourage a more proactive and coordinated approach across the museum sector by providing museums with a practical resource to support them in responding to all aspects of restitution and repatriation,” an Arts Council England spokesperson said.

The idea follows the promise made by French president Emmanuel Macron to repatriate colonial objects.

BBC historian David Olusoga is among those encouraging the ‘decolonisation’ of collections in Britain, saying there is a ‘moral imperative’ for relics to be returned, calling the case of the Parthenon Marbles “such a stark case of theft”.

Mr Olusoga also said that it could be beneficial for Britain’s relationship with the Commonwealth after Brexit.

While organisations are currently requested to follow diversity procedures, it is uncertain as yet whether the council’s 828 members will face fines for keeping treasures from abroad in their procession, Arts Council England said.

Source: Neos Kosmos [January 21, 2020]

The British Museum and the Art Loss Register help to return important Kushan sculpture to Afghanistan

The British Museum and the Art Loss Register have worked together to identify and preserve an Afghan limestone sculpture depicting humped bulls which was stolen from the National Museum of Afghanistan. The sculpture was illegally removed from the country and offered for sale through an online auction house in the UK.

The Surkh Kotal bull, 2nd century AD, carved limestone corner block, from the National
Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul [Credit: The British Museum]

It was offered for sale in 2019 by Timeline Auctions but withdrawn after the Art Loss Register reported it to the Metropolitan Police Service (Art and Antiques Unit). Its provenance and stolen status was subsequently confirmed by the British Museum and National Museum of Afghanistan and the sculpture brought to the Museum for safekeeping. The National Museum of Afghanistan have kindly agreed to allow this important sculpture to be put on public display for the first-time outside Afghanistan and prior to its return and display in Kabul. The sculpture will be officially returned via the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

The carved limestone corner block was excavated by a French archaeological expedition in the 1950s at the important site of Surkh Kotal in northern Afghanistan. It shows a reclining humped bull with its face turned to the viewer and the front of a second bull on the left. It was part of a composite frieze with other blocks showing human figures and bulls in some form of ceremony. These probably originally decorated the inner part of the sanctuary of a temple, although all the blocks were later scattered and none were found in their original position. The site and temple date to about the 2nd century AD when this region of Afghanistan was part of the Kushan empire which stretched as far as northern India. The temple is most famous for the discovery there of a monumental inscription in Bactrian language which refers to the reconstruction of the temple’s security and water supply, and a sculpture showing the great Kushan king Kanishka I.

Following their discovery, the blocks were taken to Kabul where they were registered in the National Museum of Afghanistan and published as part of that collection. However, all were stolen during the Afghan civil war (1992–1994) when Kabul was besieged by different armies and the museum was on the front line. Many other objects were also lost or destroyed during this period, and the statue of Kanishka was badly damaged by Taliban extremists in 2001: although that has now restored, this is the first stolen piece from the Surkh Kotal temple to be recovered.

The British Museum and the National Museum of Afghanistan have worked very closely together since the restoration of an internationally recognised government in 2003. The British Museum helped install the first conservation studio in the Kabul museum and has provided training for curators and conservators. Since 2009, the British Museum has identified and returned over 2,300 antiquities of all periods which were illegally excavated at sites across Afghanistan and trafficked abroad, but seized and investigated by the UK Border Force, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs and the Metropolitan Police Service. The National Museum of Afghanistan is fully open to the public and some of these objects are already back on display in Kabul.

Hartwig Fischer Director of the British Museum said: “The identification, return and display of this sculpture to Kabul is another very important step in the reconstruction of the rich cultural heritage of Afghanistan after decades of conflict, destruction and loss. The Museum works extensively with law enforcement agencies and a wide range of other partners to try to combat the trafficking of illicit material from countries which have suffered so much from conflict in recent years”.

Fahim Rahimi Director, National Museum of Afghanistan said: “I am happy that we are able to recover another missing piece from the collection of the National Museum of Afghanistan. We thank the British Museum for their cooperation with us on this regard. As the result of our cooperation many lost objects from Afghanistan have been recovered in the UK and I hope that not only customs, but also museums and other private collections, will continue to help us return objects from Afghanistan in this way”.

James Ratcliffe, the Art Loss Register said “We are delighted that our identification of this piece being offered for sale led to its seizure and look forward to its return to Kabul. We would like to thank the Metropolitan Police for their swift action in seizing it following that identification, and the British Museum for their subsequent assistance. As so often, this is a clear demonstration of the value of cooperation between various bodies in pursuing looted antiquities.”

DI Jim Wingrave “The Metropolitan Police’s Art and Antiques Unit is delighted that this piece has been identified and can be returned to the museum from which is was stolen. We would like to thank everyone involved in recovery of this unique artefact, which is an example of the positive results that can be achieved through cooperation. Unfortunately, there are many other artefacts that are still missing and we encourage anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of stolen property to contact the police.”

Source: The British Museum [January 21, 2020]

UK museums may have to follow 'decolonisation' checklist

British museums will be asked to assess their collections with a new "decolonising" checklist to ease the repatriation of cultural treasures, and could face financial repercussions if they fail to do so.

Arts Council England has called on experts to draw up new guidelines to address sacred and
significant objects like the Parthenon Marbles and Rosetta Stone [Credit: Telegraph]

Arts Council England has called on experts to draw up new guidelines to address sacred and significant objects like the Parthenon Marbles and Rosetta Stone, which have long provoked pleas for repatriation from aggrieved nations after being seized in the age of empire.

The Government-backed body already requires its portfolio organisations to follow protocols on diversity in order to receive funding, so could demand institutions adhere to its planned credo on colonialism.

It is hoped the checklist would be followed by all UK museums and fill a gap in guidance, but the Arts Council said it was “too soon” to say there would be a financial impact for the organisations it funds.

The guidance will urge UK institutions to be “proactive” about repatriation, and navigating divided public opinion surrounding contested collections.

Following the example of France, where repatriation of colonial spoils has been accelerated by the promises of Emmanuel Macron, experts will be contracted to help UK museums deal with media attention, Government policy, and the long-term future of priceless artefacts.

Easter Islanders have demanded return of the Hoa Hakananai’a statue
[Credit: Londstephen Chung/LNPON News Pictures Ltd]

An Arts Council spokeswoman said: “The aim of the guidance is to encourage a more proactive and coordinated approach across the UK museum sector by providing museums with a practical resource to support them in engaging with and responding to all aspects of restitution and repatriation.

“At this point we’re focused on developing and providing the guidance.”

The Arts Council said it was “too soon” to comment on financial arrangements , or groups being required to follow guidance in order to receive funding, in the same way diversity practices must be demonstrated by the 828 organisations within its portfolio.

An Easter Island Moai looming in the British Museum, an Aboriginal shield, and Ethiopian sacred tablets are among the many artefacts acquired amid imperial expansion which have been demanded back by their ancestral owners.

Last year Cambridge University’s Jesus College handed back a Benin bronze cockerel to Nigeria following student pressure to repatriate the plundered object, and the University of Manchester returned Aboriginal artifacts to their original communities.

Artefacts like this sarcophagus have been repatriated in the past
[Credit: EPA]

Foreseeing ever-increasing demands for repatriation in future, the Arts Council has offered a £42,000 contract to experts who can draw up guidance on decolonisation.

The contract states: “There is significant government, public and press interest and increasing calls for action by UK museums and sector bodies to address this agenda.”

It is understood that planned guidance will work as a checklist to handle claims, from how to deal with publicity and activist agitation, to possible repatriation.

The guidance will urge museums to be proactive in assessing their collections, recognising the potential colonial history of items, and working to educate visitors on both the objects and their provenance.

The Arts Council is keen to stress these benefits of decolonisation, which may lead to items being removed from collections, but can give curators and the public a greater knowledge and appreciation of the objects themselves.

Cambridge University returned this Benin bronze cockerel to Nigeria
[Credit: AFP]

The organisation I understood not to be making moral judgments in the call for guidance, either for or against repatriation, but wishes to provide a uniform template for best practice across the sector.

It is understood future funding may help foreign delegations appraise objects in British museums which could be ripe for repatriation, and the the Arts Council would welcome the range of perspectives on decolonisation provided by staff diversity.

Author: Craig Simpson | Source: Telegraph [January 17, 2020]

Chester's Roman wall collapses after digging work

Part of Chester's historical city walls has collapsed after digging work by developers. Cheshire West and Chester Council said a section of the wall fell on Thursday evening, causing the development to be suspended.

The collapsed wall [Credit: TomLovesLife]

"Early indications appear to show that earth was removed from the bottom of the city walls," a spokesman said.

Chester MP Chris Matheson claimed the developers had received safety warnings about digging so close to the wall.

Chester is the only city in Britain that retains the full circuit of its ancient defensive walls. The city walls, parts of which are almost 2,000 years old, are the oldest, longest and most complete in Britain, according to Visit Cheshire.

Developer MJW Group was granted planning permission for new luxury apartments in the city in April.

"I am appalled that the company carrying out development on this site has not exercised the care and diligence that we expect to see in such close proximity to this iconic ancient monument," Mr Matheson said.

MJW Group has been contacted by the BBC for a comment.

The collapse took place behind Newgate Street near to the walkway leading from the Grosvenor Shopping Centre.

A council spokesman said: "A section of Chester's city walls collapsed last night after excavations being carried out by a private developer, working alongside the historic structure, compromised the integrity of the ancient monument. The removal of too much earth exposed a section of bare foundations."

Councillor Karen Shore, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, highways and strategic transport, said the council was taking the collapse "very seriously" and would ensure a thorough investigation was carried out.

"I am thankful that no-one has been hurt as a result of this collapse and our priority will continue to be public safety," she said.

The collapse is close to the site of another collapse which happened almost 12 years ago.

A team of surveyors, engineers and archaeologists investigated after a 30m section of the wall came down in April 2008.

Source: BBC News Website [January 17, 2020]