The pope will donate the 2,500-year-old pieces held by the Vatican Museums to the archbishop of Athens, a gesture that increases pressure on the British Museum to act over similar items on show in London.
Tag: British Museum
British Museum to Remove Sackler Name From Its Walls
The decision comes just months after the Metropolitan Museum of Art said it would remove the family’s name from seven exhibition spaces.
As Europe Returns Artifacts, Britain Stays Silent on the Parthenon Marbles
The Parthenon Marbles in London are likely the world’s most famous disputed museum items. Yet the British government says the sculptures’ fate isn’t its concern.
In the West, the Looted Bronzes Are Museum Pieces. In Nigeria, ‘They Are Our Ancestors.’
When British soldiers stole the treasured works in 1897, it left a gaping hole in an ancient culture. With a few set to return to Nigeria, can their meaning be restored, too?
Germany Sets Out Plans to Return Benin Bronzes
The government, regional legislators and major museums said they would make “substantial” returns of the famous West African artifacts starting next year.
Lockdown Gardening in Britain Leads to Archaeological Discoveries
The finds this year, including a cache of gold coins from the reign of Henry VIII, come as Britain considers expanding the law to protect a broader range of artifacts from its centuries-old history.
A New Museum to Bring the Benin Bronzes Home
The architect David Adjaye discusses his plans for an institution to house the looted treasures on their to return to Nigeria.
Britain Stiffens Its Response to the Coronavirus, Somewhat
Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Britons to stop going to pubs, clubs and restaurants, even as other European nations were closing their borders and issuing strict stay-at-home orders.
Viking Treasure Could Have Made Them a Fortune. Instead, They Stole It.
Two British men who uncovered a 1,100-year-old trove were sentenced to years in prison for failing to report the find and selling the items piecemeal to dealers.
In Struggle Over Parthenon Marbles, Greece Gets Unexpected Ally: Xi Jinping
China pledged big investments in Greece and signed 16 agreements. But it turns out that the repatriation of artifacts is also drawing the nations closer.