The most recent scandal involving the theft of thousands of objects might be the biggest scandal yet faced by the esteemed museum, but it was far from the only one.
The British Museum has a long and controversial history; let’s take a deep dive at it. ”It would be wrong to say that the British Museum is done and dusted. However, the pile-up of controversies over the years, punctuated by the grand theft scandal last year, has shaken the institution. Moving forward, the museum needs to re-invent itself in a new light. This would begin with righting the wrongs committed in the past.”
In the latter half of the 20th century, the post-colonial era, the BM increasingly came under the radar of examining colonial exploitation; namely, the accusation that most of the objects in its collection were ‘stolen’. Amongst these the Parthenon Marbles (taken between 1801-1812, Lord Elgin), the Rosetta Stone, the Benin bronzes, the Ethiopian Tabots, the Oxus Treasure, and some Welsh artifacts are similarly claimed to have been stolen.
The museum has maintained a firm stance on these objects over the years. As per the museum, these objects are an integral part of their collection and their safety might be compromised if they were returned to their home countries. Such statements have been met with further backlash.
