Stripping Museums of Their Greatest Treasures

Recent years have seen increasing public and scholarly interest in the fate of many contentious objects that were obtained at the height of the British Empire and which have long been on public display in the museums of the United Kingdom. This course provides an opportunity to look beyond the newspaper headlines and explore the arguments both for and against museums returning a number of iconic artworks and artefacts to the countries from which they originated. Learners will examine the on-going disputes surrounding the repatriation of treasures such as the Elgin/Parthenon Marbles, the Rosetta Stone, the Benin Bronzes, the Koh-i-Noor diamond, etc.
Along with analysis of the civilizations that originally created such iconic and sought-after objects will be scrutiny of the British colonial adventures that resulted in the removal of such treasures from their countries of origin and incorporation into museum collections in Britain. Also under investigation will be the unabashed nationalism that frequently underpins arguments made by politicians demanding the return of contested cultural heritage from the United Kingdom. Throughout the course, we will explore the various legal, ethical, intellectual and historical arguments that have been promoted when attempting to reach decisions regarding the fate of culturally, politically and financially significant artworks and artefacts.
The course will consist of ten two hour lectures. Within each lecture, time will be set aside for group work and more general discussions of the topics and themes under consideration.

Note

This module is at CQFW Level 4