Current location:travel >>
Art in crisis: Thefts spark doubts over British Museum
travel6388People have gathered around
IntroductionVisitors look at the reconstructed Nereid Monument, removed from modern-day Turkiye in the early 184 ...
Visitors look at the reconstructed Nereid Monument, removed from modern-day Turkiye in the early 1840s, on Aug 23 at the British Museum in London. LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES
Stolen artifacts fuel debate over its future as a safe repository for cultural items
Editor's Note: The scandal at the British Museum risks undermining the institution's founding purpose as a custodian of the world's treasures, sparking a wave of calls for returning looted artifacts to countries of origin. The story reviews the recent astounding case and experts' perspectives on artifact collections in museums.
Since it was established by the British Parliament in 1753 to house the collection of 71,000 artifacts bequeathed to the nation by physician Hans Sloane, London's British Museum has welcomed millions of visitors, including some of the most famous names in history, through its doors to marvel at its wonders.
In 1765, the 9-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote a piece of music dedicated to the museum on Great Russell Street after a visit. Years later, Karl Marx, Bram Stoker and Arthur Conan Doyle became regular users of its famous reading room.
In 1972, the visit of the relics of Tutankhamen drew a record 1.8 million visitors to the museum. Then in 1980, it hosted a Viking exhibition. Currently, China's Hidden Century exhibition is being held at the museum to great acclaim.
But this summer, it is not who has been coming through the museum's doors that is being talked about, but it is what has been taken out of them, as a scandal over missing items has made hugely damaging international headlines.
When the story first broke in mid-August, the BBC reported that a staff member had been sacked and there was a police investigation over items that were "missing, stolen or damaged", with museum director Hartwig Fischer calling it "a highly unusual incident".
But less than two weeks later, it was Fischer who was on his way out, with his deputy Jonathan Williams stepping back from duties, as the scandal and reputational damage to one of the world's most highly regarded historical institutions grew, with the revelation that there had been unheeded warnings over suspected thefts two years earlier.
About 2,000 treasures are thought to have been stolen, but recovery has begun for some of them, BBC cited British Museum chairman George Osborne as saying on Aug 26.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Global Groove news portal”。http://israel.bahnsport.org/html-79a099844.html
Related articles
Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment fails in acrimonious end to legislative session
travelST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota lawmakers failed to pass a state Equal Rights Amendment that would ...
【travel】
Read moreCamping tourism rebounds as pandemic eases and spring comes
travelVisitors enjoy their leisure time at a camping site in Foshan, Guangdong province, Feb 26, 2023. [Ph ...
【travel】
Read moreIntl beer festival to open in Qingdao WCNA
travelThe 33rd edition of the Qingdao International Beer Festival will commence at the Golden Beach Beer C ...
【travel】
Read more
Popular articles
- Grant Shapps vows he WILL find more planes for mass parachute drop to mark 80th anniversary of D
- Tourists enjoy kiteboarding in Hainan
- Tulips make rural economy flourish in E China's village
- Xi Story: Gaining a Deeper Understanding of Chinese Civilization at Yin Ruins
- Scottie Scheffler's Louisville court date postponed after arrest during PGA Championship
- Borders no boundary to protecting cranes
Latest articles
LINKS
- Central gov't lauds passage of safeguarding national security bill in HKSAR
- Avid Reader Restores Ancient Books in Shenyang, NE China
- Rural Entrepreneur Helps Farmers Live Better Lives
- Folk Song Enthusiast Keeps Daur Heritage Alive
- 'Guardian Angels' of Wetlands
- Feature: A Tibetan Woman's Quest to Predict Quakes
- Xinjiang Story: Uygur Dancer Blends Folk Elegance with Modern Street Beats
- Pic Story of Pharmacist as NPC Deputy
- Policies yield key results in Xiong'an
- Pic Story of Former Serf of Manor in Xizang