Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

yuanzhumin · 18th April 2006, 06:24 AM

Hello

Interesting discussion.

I don’t want to get involved in the debate of colonization, or its goods and wrongs. And believe me, I'm far from being a utopian or an anti-imperialist guy. I think what we are talking about here is above all political considerations.

It's about being fair and having a certain notion of sharing.

Sharing : The fact that all Nigerian swords belong to Lagos, all Michelangelos to Rome, all Russian icons to Moscow and all statues of Buddha to Bangkok strikes me as absurd as it can be. Yes, that's why I think artpieces should be shared with others, mostly when we have so many of them from all around the world that are stored in western museums without being displayed for ages and often will never be, because of space or budget issues. I'm thinking, by the way, that these sticks had more risks to get rotten in the underground where they were kept in England than in the hands of the people that value them. And if they are lost in a war, or in a natural catastrophy, this is their destiny after all. Look at the Bamyan buddhas in Afghanistan. What could we do ? On the other way, I think we did a great job in Cambodgia to help them save and recover their khmer patrimony.

So instead of not doing anything, why shouldn’t we share part of the western collections with the other countries and even returning them sometimes when the items are coming from abroad ? In which conditions it could be done, this is another debate, but the principle is there: it’s possible to share.

Now, there may be also few western art pieces abroad, in the Middle East, in Asia or in other parts of the world. But very often they are found in the private collections of very rich people, and more seldomly found in public museums. In Taiwan, for example, there is one museum, yes, where you can find western paintings and art works, but it has been founded by one of the richest man on this island. The guy could have kept its masterworks for himself but no, he wanted to SHARE its personal collection with the public.

Talking about Turkey, it is a country that had a long history with Europe to such an extent that it is waiting to get inside the European Union. So nothing extraordinary to the presence of European artworks in Turkey or in Russia. But what about all the other countries ? In the Far East, in South America, in Oceania ? Take Africa, is there any Michel Angelo in the African museums ? They don’t even have their own stuff that is already, most of the time or for the best pieces, in western museums. That’s the reason why I think the story of these sticks going back to their people is nice. It’s a very little drop in the bucket, but it’s nice.

Being fair : There is something else important to underline. It is the fact that these sticks were stolen in a violent episode. These were not items that were discarded after being used or collected innocently. These sticks were stolen while they were still full of the power entrusted to them by the people that used them. So they have a symbolic value that gives to them and to their return a very special significance, I think. Wouldn't it be normal to ask for the return of the original documents of the American Constitution if they were stolen or would you think that they are only old papers just good to be thrown away ?

Concerning the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, where there are so many pieces from China, there are very different ways to see the situation:
- * if you are a chinese communist : you think these pieces have not left the country as they are in Taiwan that is, the communists insist, still a part of China.
- * if you are from the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party): you think these pieces have not left the country because they are in Taiwan that is also, for the Kuomintang people, a part of China, only the definition of their China being different.
- * if you are a taiwanese independantist : you think most of these pieces are coming from a foreign country, China, and should go back there if only the Chinese could put away the 800 missiles that they have turned on Taiwan. Another possibility would be to give part of the collections to the Japanese museums in exchange for most of the Taiwanese aboriginal artifacts collected in their museums.
What do you think ?

Greetings,

yuanzhumin

18th April 2006, 06:24 AM	#11
yuanzhumin Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ex-Taipei, Taiwan, now in Shanghai, China Posts: 180	Hello Interesting discussion. I don’t want to get involved in the debate of colonization, or its goods and wrongs. And believe me, I'm far from being a utopian or an anti-imperialist guy. I think what we are talking about here is above all political considerations. It's about being fair and having a certain notion of sharing. Sharing : The fact that all Nigerian swords belong to Lagos, all Michelangelos to Rome, all Russian icons to Moscow and all statues of Buddha to Bangkok strikes me as absurd as it can be. Yes, that's why I think artpieces should be shared with others, mostly when we have so many of them from all around the world that are stored in western museums without being displayed for ages and often will never be, because of space or budget issues. I'm thinking, by the way, that these sticks had more risks to get rotten in the underground where they were kept in England than in the hands of the people that value them. And if they are lost in a war, or in a natural catastrophy, this is their destiny after all. Look at the Bamyan buddhas in Afghanistan. What could we do ? On the other way, I think we did a great job in Cambodgia to help them save and recover their khmer patrimony. So instead of not doing anything, why shouldn’t we share part of the western collections with the other countries and even returning them sometimes when the items are coming from abroad ? In which conditions it could be done, this is another debate, but the principle is there: it’s possible to share. Now, there may be also few western art pieces abroad, in the Middle East, in Asia or in other parts of the world. But very often they are found in the private collections of very rich people, and more seldomly found in public museums. In Taiwan, for example, there is one museum, yes, where you can find western paintings and art works, but it has been founded by one of the richest man on this island. The guy could have kept its masterworks for himself but no, he wanted to SHARE its personal collection with the public. Talking about Turkey, it is a country that had a long history with Europe to such an extent that it is waiting to get inside the European Union. So nothing extraordinary to the presence of European artworks in Turkey or in Russia. But what about all the other countries ? In the Far East, in South America, in Oceania ? Take Africa, is there any Michel Angelo in the African museums ? They don’t even have their own stuff that is already, most of the time or for the best pieces, in western museums. That’s the reason why I think the story of these sticks going back to their people is nice. It’s a very little drop in the bucket, but it’s nice. Being fair : There is something else important to underline. It is the fact that these sticks were stolen in a violent episode. These were not items that were discarded after being used or collected innocently. These sticks were stolen while they were still full of the power entrusted to them by the people that used them. So they have a symbolic value that gives to them and to their return a very special significance, I think. Wouldn't it be normal to ask for the return of the original documents of the American Constitution if they were stolen or would you think that they are only old papers just good to be thrown away ? Concerning the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, where there are so many pieces from China, there are very different ways to see the situation: - * if you are a chinese communist : you think these pieces have not left the country as they are in Taiwan that is, the communists insist, still a part of China. - * if you are from the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party): you think these pieces have not left the country because they are in Taiwan that is also, for the Kuomintang people, a part of China, only the definition of their China being different. - * if you are a taiwanese independantist : you think most of these pieces are coming from a foreign country, China, and should go back there if only the Chinese could put away the 800 missiles that they have turned on Taiwan. Another possibility would be to give part of the collections to the Japanese museums in exchange for most of the Taiwanese aboriginal artifacts collected in their museums. What do you think ? Greetings, yuanzhumin