(41) Hannah E. The real value of artifacts can only be recognized in their countries of arranging rather than anywhere else.
Simply, there are people in Nigeria who cannot travel to the Smithsonian Institution to see that part of their history and culture represented by the Benin Bronzes. These should be available to them
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as part of their cultural heritage and history and as a source of national pride. There is no good reason that these artifacts should be beyond the ordinary reach of the educational objectives or inspiration of the generations to which they were left. They serve no purpose in a museum in the United States or elsewhere except as curious objects. They cannot be compared to works of art produced for sale which can be passed from hand to hand and place to place by purchase.
(42) Buck C. Museum visitors can still learn as much from artifacts copies after the originals are returned.
We know very exact reproductions of artwork can be and are regularly produced. Perhaps museums and governments might explore some role for the use of nearly exact reproductions as a means of resolving issues relating to returning works of art and antiquities. The context of any exhibit is more important to me than whether the object being displayed is 2,000 years old or 2 months old. In many cases the experts have a hard time agreeing on what is the real object and what is a forgery. Again, the story an exhibit is trying to tell is what matters. The monetary value of the objects on display is a distant second place in importance.
(43) Sara F. Ways to get artifacts from other countries must be decent and lawful.
When visiting the Baltimore Museum of Art, I came across a magnificent15th-century Chinese sculpture. It inspired me to learn more about the culture that it represented. Artifacts in museums have the power to inspire, and perhaps spark that need to learn and understand the nature of their creators. Having said that, I do feel that whatever artifacts find their way to public museums should, in fact, be sanctioned as having been obtained on loan, legally purchased, or obtained by treaty. Stealing artifacts from other peoples' cultures is obscene; it robs not only the physical objects, but the dignity and spirit of their creators.
(44) Victor G. Concern over security is no excuse for refusing to return the artifacts of other countries.
Ancient art that is displayed in foreign countries by all means shouldbe returned to the original country.The foreign countries have no right to hold back returning the items.I would ask that the foreign nations and the original country discuss the terms of transfer. Yes,there is the risk that the original will not have as good security as do the foreign-countries.But look at what happened to Boston's Gardner Museum theft in 1990,including the loss of Rembrandt Vermeer, Manet and other masterpiece.Nothing is absolutely safe nowhere, and now Climate Change agitators are attacking publicly displayed work in European museum
(45) Julia B. It's a flawed line of reasoning to argue against returning artifacts to their countries of arranging.
To those of you in the comments section who are having strongfeelings about artifacts being removed from cities in the US and Britain and returned to their countries of origin. I would ask you to consider:why do you think Americans have more of a right to easily access the Benin Bronzes than
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people of Nigeria? Why are people who live within a days drive of London entitled to go and see the Elgin Marbles wherever they want,but the people of Athens aren't?What intrinsic factors make the Westa suitable home for these artifacts but preclude them from being preserved and displayed by their countries of origin? If your conclusion is that the West is better able to preserve these artifacts,think about why you're assuming that to be true.
A. It's clear that the countries of origin have never been compensated for the stolen architects.
B. It's a flawed line of reasoning to argue against returning artifacts to their countries of arranging.
C. Museum visitors can still learn as much from artifacts copies after the originals are returned.
D. Reproductions, even if perfectly made, cannot take the place of the authentic objects.
E. The real value of artifacts can only be recognized in their countries of arranging rather than anywhere else.
F. Ways to get artifacts from other countries must be decent and lawful.
G. Concern over security is no excuse for refusing to return the artifacts of other countries.
