BM

Reading a piece in Thursday's Guardian occupying most of page 3 (reference 1) about thefts of bits and pieces which probably spanned many years, I felt quite sorry for the British Museum.

I imagine that they must have metropolitan basements and provincial warehouses stuffed full of dusty old artefacts for which they do not have display room. Dusty old artefacts which might be catalogued after a fashion, but only actually get looked at once in a blue moon. I would imagine that preventing petty theft of such stuff would be very difficult, even just knowing that it has happened after the event would be very difficult, and that it would easy to do nothing and just trust one's staff. Who, in the olden days at least, would have mostly been old retainers. None of you here-today-gone-tomorrow agency staff favoured by the present government.

As it is, it seems all too likely that vast amounts of money will be paid to know-it-all young consultants from Price Waterhouse, who will, no doubt, propose all kinds of expensive, fat-fee-generating solutions. They might even have the neck to propose one of their own at the next director. In any event, a public rolling of a few heads to demonstrate resolve.

PS: I remain in favour of giving those dusty old lumps of Elgin marble back. If the Greeks are so keen on getting them back, why not do the decent thing? Promote a few bits and bobs from the basement to take the space so freed up. So it might set a bit of a precedent, but it should not be beyond our collective wit to devise a sensible protocol for adjudication and, if appropriate, return. And, furthermore, in this digital age, the case for hanging on to a lot of this stuff is, in any case, much reduced.

PS 2: from where I associate to some Assyrian alabaster. To be more precise, some famous bas-reliefs depicting an Assyrian king on a lion hunt, also held by the British Museum. But having read Carew at reference 3, who was rather shocked by the whole business, even at this distance in time, I now know that 'hunt' is a euphemism for previously captured lions being driven onto the king's spears in an enclosed arena. Once within range, the king slaughtered them, rather messily. All staged to show off his power and prowess. I wonder if the Iraqi's are agitating to get these bas-reliefs back?

PS 3: not forgetting that if you were an Assyrian farmer, lions were dangerous pests which you wanted rid of. A job for the king. Rather as getting rid of troublesome boars was a job for the Greek king.

References

Reference 1: British Museum chief says extent of losses was not clear when concerns were raised in 2021 - Harriet Sherwood, Guardian - 2023.

Reference 2: Assyrian Lion-Hunting at the British Museum - Osama S. M. Amin - 2016.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/07/cuddling.html.