It’s time for the homecoming of looted treasures

The recent spat between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, has raised questions over Britain’s colonial loot, displayed largely in the British Museum. Mitsotakis described the sculptures at the museum in London as akin to the ‘Mona Lisa being cut in half’. His scheduled meeting with Sunak was thereafter abruptly cancelled.

Time and again, there have been worldwide calls for restitution of such cultural artefacts to their home country from where they were plundered, but to no avail.

What are the Elgin Marbles? They refer to the 5th-century BC sculptures removed from the Parthenon on the Acropolis (Athens) by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin. As Britain’s Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Greece then, he had them shipped to London between 1801 and 1812.

Among the various classical architectural styles worldwide, Greek architecture is considered to be the finest example of humankind’s artistic endeavour. Even today, it resonates in many neo-classical buildings, continuing till the 20th century, before the advent of modernism. For every architect, a visit to the Acropolis is akin to a pilgrimage. Parthenon’s majestic columns with pediments, all in white marble glistening in the Mediterranean sky, are spellbinding. Le Corbusier, during his travels as a youth, had found his epiphany and lifetime’s inspiration there.

Besides the Parthenon Sculptures, there is a growing demand for repatriation of antiquities by nations colonised by European empires. Nigeria has for long asked for the return of the Benin Bronzes from the British Museum. Similar demands are emanating from Ethiopia and Egypt. Egypt had demanded that France return painting fragments from the tomb of Tetaki. Ethiopians have asked for the return of the Maqdala manuscripts — religious texts that were taken away by the British in 1868.

The Benin Bronzes are from the kingdom of Benin, now modern-day Nigeria, which had thousands of 13th-century bronze sculptures adorning its royal palace. In 1897, the British troops had looted the sculptures; they are now displayed mainly in the British Museum, while some are in the US and Germany. Recently, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announced that it would return some of the pieces, as has Germany.

As the British Empire, from the late 16th century to the 20th century, exercised control over a vast number of colonies, there are numerous examples of plunder. “The British Museum, which houses more than 8 million artefacts like the Benin Bronzes and the Parthenon Marbles, possesses the most number of stolen goods,” says human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson. India, often referred to as the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of the British Empire, lost many of its iconic artworks, idols and artefacts. Topping the list is the 105.6-carat Kohinoor diamond, currently held by the British royal family. As one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, the Kohinoor (‘mountain of light’) originally adorned the Mughal Peacock Throne. It changed hands several times until it was ultimately handed over to Queen Victoria after the British annexation of Punjab in 1849.

Besides the Kohinoor, there are numerous other iconic Indian cultural treasures showcased in Britain, notably the Sultanganj Buddha, Amaravati Marbles, treasures of Tipu Sultan and Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s throne.

The Sultanganj Buddha, a 2.3-metre-high and 500-kg copper sculpture, was found in Sultanganj, Bihar, in 1862. It is estimated to have been built 1,500 years prior to its discovery. It is now in the Birmingham Museum. Legendary ruler Tipu Sultan’s sword, ring, perfume and a wooden tiger are all in the possession of museums in Britain. The magnificent throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was moved during the Anglo-Sikh war and has been kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum since then. The Buddhist stupa of Amaravati (first century BC to second century AD and later) was taken to Britain during colonial rule after excavations in 1845. It is now displayed in the British Museum.

“While several former colonies have taken up the issue of repatriation of colonially looted objects, in India we do not even have an inventory of objects in Western museums, what to speak of any provenance research on these objects,” laments noted museologist and art historian Jyotindra Jain. Concerted efforts by Greece, besides Egypt and other nations, have stirred the world to raise the pitch for restitution.

The Denver Art Museum shipped four antiquities back to Cambodia. The Smithsonian Institution returned 29 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. The Manhattan district attorney’s office seized 27 looted artefacts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art last year; these were sent back to Italy and Egypt. France, too, has returned 26 cultural artefacts that were stolen by the French forces in 1892 from the Kingdom of Dahomey in what is now the south of present-day Benin.

Recently, Govind Mohan, Secretary, India’s Ministry of Culture, stated that the return of the antiquities was going to be ‘a key part of future policy’. “It is of huge importance to the government,” he said. India is expecting the biggest haul of its antiquities from abroad as the US has offered 1,440 artefacts in possession of its museums for repatriation. A team of experts has already left for authentication of the items.

It’s not just the financial value of these items for the home countries; there is also the deep emotional and civilisational value. It’s time for a homecoming of all looted cultural treasures across the world. Only then will ‘project decolonisation’ be complete.