Tipu’s Magic Box, should it have been sold to a private?

[diagem]

Every once in a while we hear some ricochets after a big and loud auction sale...
Last time I remember such an occurrence was when Christie’s auctioned the Princie diamond in 2013.

https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/the-princie-diamond-5672735-details.aspx

https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/christies-sued-in-row-over-40-million-princie-diamond/

Here is a good & realistic NY times read about some jewels/objects that were auctioned June 19th at the Christie’s Mayarajas & Mughals Magnificence, the title reads:
The British Stole Tipu’s Magic Box. It Should Not Be for Sale.
By Aditi Natasha Kini
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/...ipus-magic-box-it-should-not-be-for-sale.html

Love to hear some PS opinions on this...

 

[bmfang]

As someone originally from a country which was under colonial rule, I understand the author’s POV. For all of the good things the British may have brought to a country once in their empire, they sure as hell did a lot of damage too. And one of those things is cultural looting. The former British PM (as quoted in the article) made a very astute observation prior to nixing any thought of the British Museum repatriating items.

 

[AV_]

Publication is a nice way for owners (who they might be) to throw a public party & Christies obliges ever more.

I would not have expected to see any of the Al Thani objects on the block.

 

[whitewave]

I link clicked onto this related and interesting article:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/hist...dand-why-british-wont-give-it-back-180964660/

 

[AV_]

@whitewave I could find myself somewhere close to that position.

These things make sense in private use.

 

[whitewave]

To answer the question, yes, I believe they should be given back to the host country or put in a museum somewhere.

 

[arkieb1]

The article made the point that half the stuff in the British Museum has been stolen from somewhere else..... not that that makes it right. They recently gave back some Australian Aboriginal bodies they had taken well over a hundred+ years ago, originally as "curiosities" to use to prove Charles Darwin's theories that had been stored in the recesses of the museum for many decades. The relatives of the dead went over and brought some of the bodies back. Australian Aboriginal people have strong ties to our land, if you displace a body in their culture it means the spirits of their ancestors cannot rest...

They don't just have culturally significant objects that should not be there, they have people as well....