A UK museum has come under fire for returning boomerangs and other sacred objects to indigenous people in Australia.
Oxford University professor Lawrence Goldman said there “doesn’t seem to be a good reason” for the decision by the Horniman Museum and Gardens in south London.
He asked: “If museums gave away everything that people alive today would want back, what would become of their collections? Should we return all the great paintings acquired by our galleries?”
The two boomerangs are of “utmost cultural significance” to the Warumungu people of the Northern Territory. They are among ten objects, including a knife and sheath, that the museum will return at a celebration later this year.
Two years ago, Horniman agreed to return 72 looted objects, including “Benin bronzes,” to Nigeria because “it was the morally right thing to do.”
The Horniman Museum and Gardens in south London has come under fire for returning boomerangs and other sacred objects to Australia’s indigenous people.
Oxford University professor Lawrence Goldman (pictured) said there “doesn’t seem to be a good reason” for the decision.
The two boomerangs are of “utmost cultural significance” to the Warumungu people of the Northern Territory. They are among ten objects, including a knife and sheath, that the museum (pictured) will return at a celebration later this year.
Museums around the world are facing a clamour to return treasures, including the British Museum’s Elgin Marbles.
But critics say they are rushing to empty their collections.
Professor Goldman said: ‘Horniman is getting into the habit of giving away valuable items.
“But there doesn’t seem to be a good reason to do so in this case or any other. The point of a great collection is to show people treasures from around the world in a spirit of internationalism and respect for other civilizations.
“If the Horniman’s trustees do not understand this, they do not understand the purpose of a museum and should step down. Their pettiness would impoverish us all.”
The Horniman, who must obtain permission from the Charity Commission to return the items, said they would be kept at the Nyinkka Nyunyu arts and culture centre in Tennant Creek, which has a population of 3,080. He declined to say how long he had the items in his possession or who collected them.
Mr Michael Jones Jampijinpa, a Warumungu elder, said: ‘We are happy to have them back because all those things were stolen a long time ago.
Horniman, who must obtain permission from the Charity Commission to return the items, said they would be stored at the Nyinkka Nyunyu arts and culture centre in Tennant Creek, which has a population of 3,080.
But David Abulafia, emeritus professor of Mediterranean history at Cambridge University (pictured), said: “The Horniman needs to make clear how these objects were obtained. Often, things described as loot were bought by proper and legal means, given as gifts or exchanged for European objects.”
“The museum has made the decision to return them to where they belong. It wasn’t them who collected them, it was their ancestors, so I want to thank them.”
Michael Salter-Church, chairman of Horniman’s board of trustees, said: “These objects are of great importance to the Warumungu people and were lost in circumstances where they were forced to sell or give them away. We are pleased to be able to return them.”
Cultural historian Ben Lewis said: “It’s like the restitution of works of art stolen from Jews by the Nazis. If they appear in a museum, it doesn’t matter whether the museum bought them legitimately.
“If it can be reasonably demonstrated that it was originally looted, its return cannot be denied.”
But David Abulafia, emeritus professor of Mediterranean history at Cambridge University, said: “The Horniman needs to make clear how these objects were obtained. Often, things described as loot were acquired by proper and legal means, given as gifts or exchanged for European objects.”