Western Museums Demand 'Provenance' for Art, Not Colonies
A campaign pushing for the return of precious Egyptian artifacts currently held in foreign museums, primarily Western ones, has gathered over 300,000 signatures. The New Arab highlights this effort without directly challenging the notion that these items, procured during colonial occupations, are somehow 'legitimately' acquired. It's a tale as old as time: the 'discovery' of ancient treasures by
European archaeologists, often followed by their systematic removal to adorn galleries far from their origins. While Western institutions sermonize about 'provenance' and 'illicit trade' for newly-emerging nations, their own collections are often built on the literal plunder of empires. The British Museum, for example, which holds vast collections from Egypt, Greece, and countless other colonized
lands, consistently bats away these claims as if Egypt simply 'misplaced' the Rosetta Stone or Greece 'lost' the Elgin Marbles. One might wonder, how many millions were paid to the original 'owners' during removal? (Spoiler: Zero. Zero millions.)