THE DEBATE on the status of stolen artifacts displayed in foreign museums has been ongoing for decades. Several countries have faced challenges trying to repatriate important artifacts with controversial means of procurement. While some argue that these artifacts were legally obtained and are in safer hands with these museums, the truth is that the “legality” of these acquisition methods is disingenuous, and the artifacts should be repatriated.

The cultural significance of stolen artifacts

   The hoarding of stolen artifacts by foreign museums prevents them from being seen by those who are most familiar with its culture. Symbolic of a nation’s identity and integral to its history, they are not simply works of art to look at and forget about for these citizens. For example, the Moai statues from Rapa Nui—also known as Easter Island—have spiritual value as they are believed to embody the essence of ancient ancestors. Some of these statues have been taken from Rapa Nui and housed in museums around the world despite years of repatriation campaigns[1]. Although placing them in globally renowned museums would increase their accessibility to a wider audience, scholars and citizens who want to learn about their historical artifacts would have to resort to accessing them through secondary sources unless they are willing to inconvenience themselves by traveling to foreign museums.

The denial of wrongdoing

   In the cases of the majority of the dislocated artifacts, museums deny any wrongdoing, or are purposefully ambiguous about the details of how they obtained the relics. For example, German officials maintain that the Nefertiti bust[2] was acquired legally by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt as it had passed the necessary inspections. However, Egypt has been requesting the return of the Nefertiti bust since its public debut in 1924 in the Egyptian Museum of Berlin. Officials from Egypt strongly argue that the bust was, in fact, illegally taken out of their country and that inspectors were purposefully misled about the significance of the excavators’ findings[3]. According to Egypt’s archaeological rules at that time, findings of exceptional quality were to be handed over to Egypt, but officials were allegedly lied to about the bust’s quality. If officials had recognized the bust’s true worth, they would have never granted its leave to Germany[4]. Thus, the issues surrounding the museums’ legal ownerships are not so simple since the agreements upon which their claims are based may be illegitimate and unethical.

   Greece has also been attempting to retrieve the Parthenon sculptures—which they claim were illegally stolen—that are currently owned by the British Museum. The Ottoman Empire, during its rule over Greece, ambiguously gave British ambassador Thomas Bruce their permission to take several figures and stones with ancient inscriptions, yet did not explicitly extend this authorization to the Parthenon sculptures[5]. Museums occasionally offer to temporarily loan out pieces to their country of origin, but on the condition that the country recognizes the museum as the legal owner of the artifact. This was the case when the British Museum offered to loan the Parthenon sculptures to Greece—a deal that Greece rejected as accepting it would cement the British Museum’s claim to the sculptures[6].

The exploitation of other cultures

   Economic incentives are a major factor that stops countries from returning these artifacts. With the possession of globally renowned artifacts, countries generate profit from tourists visiting the museums housing them; for example, the Nefertiti bust at the Neues Museum in Berlin draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year[7]. Additionally, museums are able to maintain their reputation and value with the ownership of prominent art pieces that are considered priceless—such as the Parthenon sculptures—thus  attracting a number of donors.

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   Although there are cases of artifacts being returned to their home countries, they are very rare. Considering various factors, it is understandable that returning all controversial artifacts would be difficult for the museums that are currently housing them. However, museums should, at the very least, be more forthcoming about the ethical issues regarding the attainment of these artifacts, being honest about their history of ownership and paying the appropriate dues for keeping the relics away from their home countries. By denying any controversy or evading the truth with euphemisms, museums are undermining the integrity of the artistic community. 

[1] Smithsonian Magazine

[2] Nefertiti bust: A statue of Queen Nefertiti, the great royal wife of King Akhenaten

[3] Artincontext.org

[4] Al-Monitor

[5] The New York Times

[6] ABC News

[7] Staatliche Museen zu Berlin