The Rijksmuseum is set to return six objects currently in its in collection to Sri Lanka this year. It marks the first time colonial objects from the Rijksmuseum collection will be returned.
The objects concerned are two swords, two rifles, a dagger and the Cannon of Kandy decorated with precious stones.
Dutch military donated the caon to Stadtholder Prince William V for his cabinet of curiosities in The Hague and later it ended up in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
In 1975, Sri Lanka made an inventory of important objects abroad; the cannon was one of these.
In 1980, Sri Lanka made the first formal request for their restitution.
According to an expert, more Sri Lankan claims can be expected.
+ Negative reaction in Dutch letter to the editor on return to Sri Lanka (in Dutch)
I am deeply concerned, writes someone called Rutger, about the ease and current ‘woke’ zeitgeist with which very important art and antiquities held by Dutch museums are ‘returned’ and lost forever to future generations of the Dutch.
I think it is high time that specific legislation was introduced, in which the interests of the Dutch population are put first and foremost, in order to prevent this in the future, and I hope that there are political parties willing to commit themselves to this.
Unfortunately, this does not make it easy for politicians to score. I suspect that the current zeitgeist will blow over again and that people will think differently about this in the future, but then those guilty of wasting Dutch property will have retired with impunity.
