Christin R. (raksha38) reviewed Loot: The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World on + 203 more book reviews
Wow, great book! I knew looting was a huge problem and that during colonialism wholesale ransacking of antiquities was a major activity all over the world, but I had no idea the extent to which museums were, and still are to this day, such seething hotbeds of corruption. What a mess.
This books examines the issue of repatriation from the points of view of the countries who are asking for items back and from the POVs of the museums who currently possess those items. Waxman interviews and investigates a lot of the people involved in the fights on both sides, as well as detailing the histories of four major museums involved in repatriation battles at the moment (the Getty, The Louvre, The Met, and The British Museum), as well as laying out the history of several items that are major battle grounds (the Elgin marbles, the zodiac ceiling from Egypt, etc).
Wow. So screwed up. The arguments of the museums are as self serving as they are insulting. Theres so much of the colonialist attitutdes and contempt for non-Western countries, its just unbelievable. Their arguments basically break down to any or all of the following: We got there first. We had to take them or someone else would. Thats what everyone did then. We had the permission of the ruling goverment at the time (pay no attention to the fact that it was our own colonial government and the residents of those countries had no actual say in what happened). We take better care of these things. You should be greatful were showing your things to the world (i.e. Europeans/Americans). Us having these items gets people more interested in other countries, so then theyll go visit them and bring in tourist revenue for them. If we give back everything that was stolen, our museums would be empty.
Utter crap. But at the same time, there is the very real issue that many countries requesting items back dont have the facilities to care for and protect these items. It seems to me, the only workable solution is for the countries of origin to be given ownership and control of the items, at which time they will arrange loans (short- or long-term) of exhibits or outside museums will rent the items on a long-term basis from their countries of origins. The countries of origin would also be updating their own museums and security practices, with the help of grants and donations (which is what Western museums do anyway), so they can display their own artifacts in their own countries whenever they want. Sadly, this would take way, way more cooperation than Western museums are willing to give, since it would require them to 1. admit wrong doing on their parts in the past, 2. admit that theyre not the sole arbiters of culture and worth for the entire world, 3. relinquish their control of the antiquities markets and associated scholarship. Never gonna happen.
What a mess!
Also, apropos of nothing: The whole thing with the sex parties and rapes at The Getty and the whole expectation that if you work there youll have affairs with your colleagues creeps me right the hell out.
This books examines the issue of repatriation from the points of view of the countries who are asking for items back and from the POVs of the museums who currently possess those items. Waxman interviews and investigates a lot of the people involved in the fights on both sides, as well as detailing the histories of four major museums involved in repatriation battles at the moment (the Getty, The Louvre, The Met, and The British Museum), as well as laying out the history of several items that are major battle grounds (the Elgin marbles, the zodiac ceiling from Egypt, etc).
Wow. So screwed up. The arguments of the museums are as self serving as they are insulting. Theres so much of the colonialist attitutdes and contempt for non-Western countries, its just unbelievable. Their arguments basically break down to any or all of the following: We got there first. We had to take them or someone else would. Thats what everyone did then. We had the permission of the ruling goverment at the time (pay no attention to the fact that it was our own colonial government and the residents of those countries had no actual say in what happened). We take better care of these things. You should be greatful were showing your things to the world (i.e. Europeans/Americans). Us having these items gets people more interested in other countries, so then theyll go visit them and bring in tourist revenue for them. If we give back everything that was stolen, our museums would be empty.
Utter crap. But at the same time, there is the very real issue that many countries requesting items back dont have the facilities to care for and protect these items. It seems to me, the only workable solution is for the countries of origin to be given ownership and control of the items, at which time they will arrange loans (short- or long-term) of exhibits or outside museums will rent the items on a long-term basis from their countries of origins. The countries of origin would also be updating their own museums and security practices, with the help of grants and donations (which is what Western museums do anyway), so they can display their own artifacts in their own countries whenever they want. Sadly, this would take way, way more cooperation than Western museums are willing to give, since it would require them to 1. admit wrong doing on their parts in the past, 2. admit that theyre not the sole arbiters of culture and worth for the entire world, 3. relinquish their control of the antiquities markets and associated scholarship. Never gonna happen.
What a mess!
Also, apropos of nothing: The whole thing with the sex parties and rapes at The Getty and the whole expectation that if you work there youll have affairs with your colleagues creeps me right the hell out.
