Museums

The magical power of African art, illustrated in the nkisi nkonde figure (fig. 12) is unfamiliar to Westerners.  Additionally, our knowledge of these figures and the cultures that produced them has been gained at great loss to those cultures.  As Western culture has encountered non-Western cultures, particularly from the 19th century forward, local customs and tradition suffered and art was pilfered.  Research the relationship between museums and non-Western collections.  Focus on recent attempts to return artifacts to the people whose ancestors produced them.


Museums have lots of different artifacts from different places.  They are not only works of art, but they tell a story.  They could be a religous work of art.  They could be sacred.  They could also be something evil.  We do not know and that is why museums are there to teach us.  Just recently the attempts to get them back have become more demanding.  First, governments asked for these items back politely because they feel these artifacts were just taken from them.  In the summer of 2004, Greece tried to pressure Great Britain.  Great Britain had Greece's Parthenon marbles.  During the summer Olypics in Athens, Greece anounced that they were building the Acropolis museum for the marbles.  For another example, Egypt decided to sue two museums.  One is in England and one is in Belgium.  Egypt wanted them to return two tomb carvings.  Egypt was ready to ban the archeaologists of those museums from ever digging in the "Land of the Pharaohs" again.  A man named, Zahi Hawass, who just happens to be the director of Egypts Supreme Council, is trying to get as many artifacts as he can returned to his country.  One of Egypts most famous artifacts, the Rosetta Stone, which is the key to Ancient Egypts hieroglyphic language has been taken away to a museum as well.  Some people argue that these artifacts should be in major cities like New York or London so different people can see them and learn about them.  While others argue they should be in museums of the countries they originated from.  Until recently, Natvie Americans could not claim ownership rights to artifacts found in their land.  It wasn't until 1990 when the federal government passed the Native American Graves protection act.  This meant Native Americans could reclaim their artifacts from museums.  After the tribes claim ownership, then they get to decide what happens to the artifacts.  Some museums, however do not want to hand them all over.  Some try to make a deal with these tribes to only return a few artifacts.  There are many artifacts looted from countries, tribes, or religous groups.  One of the earliest works of art known to be looted during a war, was the steele of King Naram-Sin of Akkad.  This artifact is now in the Louvre Museum in Paris.  In western literature, the Palladion was the earliest and most important taken statue.  It served as Troy's protective talisman.  It is said that two Greeks smuggled the statue out of the Temple of Athena.  Personally I am locked on the situation.  I feel museums should have these artifacts so us "foreigners" can be educated.  On the other hand, I do dont think these people should be robbed of their culture.