The only time a museum should have another country’s artifacts is when that country loans their artifacts to a museum on a cultural exchange.
One other reason- to protect those artifacts if they are in danger of being destroyed. I am all for protecting smuggled artifacts in danger of being blown up otherwise damaged or destroyed, as long as they are eventually returned.
That’s the key, you need to return it or you’ll just become checks notes the British Museum.
I’m going to disagree with you. If someone had a classic car rotting in their yard, stealing it wouldn’t be justified even if you intended to restore it.
Imagine if China scooped up the Lincoln Memorial and promised to give it back at such time we could properly care for it.
I’m talking about in a war zone, not just rotting in someone’s yard. Hence “being blown up.”
What do you think about the Taliban destroying 1,400-year-old statuary? Should we be sending them more stuff just to be destroyed?
UK museums
No quotes needed even if they are literally quoting someone (in which case, I would expect them to use double quotes). It is back where it belongs. There’s no question of where it belongs. It belongs to the nation and the people where it was found in the first place.
GOOD!
Reminds me of James Acaster’s bit about British museums.
