Who owns our ancient past?
What should be done with objects from antiquity, when their provenance is uncertain?
From the debate over the British Museum's Elgin Marbles, to the conviction of art dealer Giacomo Medici in 2004 for selling millions of pounds worth of stolen Italian antiquities on the international market, curators face a minefield when acquiring new objects.
Now, the director of the Art Institute in Chicago, James Cuno, has argued that we should not waste time debating what to do with objects whose origin is less than completely certain.
He says that museums should simply take all the necessary steps to ensure that purchases are legal and are not looted or stolen.
Read entire article at BBC
From the debate over the British Museum's Elgin Marbles, to the conviction of art dealer Giacomo Medici in 2004 for selling millions of pounds worth of stolen Italian antiquities on the international market, curators face a minefield when acquiring new objects.
Now, the director of the Art Institute in Chicago, James Cuno, has argued that we should not waste time debating what to do with objects whose origin is less than completely certain.
He says that museums should simply take all the necessary steps to ensure that purchases are legal and are not looted or stolen.