Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
The British Museum is one of the most prestigious and visited cultural institutions in the world, boasting a collection of over eight million objects that span two million years of human history. But the museum is also facing one of the biggest scandals in its 268-year history, after it was revealed that one of its senior curators had stolen about 1,500 items from its storerooms and sold them online.
The curator, Peter Higgs, who had worked at the museum for 30 years and was responsible for the Parthenon marbles and other Greek antiquities, was sacked earlier this year and is now under police investigation. The museum has also launched an independent review of its security and inventory systems, led by former trustee Sir Nigel Boardman and British Transport Police chief constable Lucy D’Orsi.
The theft, which was first reported by the Guardian, has shocked and outraged the art world, as well as the public, who have questioned how such a massive breach could have occurred at one of the most renowned and respected museums in the world. The stolen items include gold jewellery, gems, coins, and ceramics, dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD, and valued at millions of pounds. Some of them have been traced to eBay, where they were sold for a fraction of their worth.
The museum has admitted that its record keeping was inadequate and that some of the stolen items may never be recovered, due to the gaps in its inventory. The museum has also faced criticism for its slow and secretive response to the theft, which was first reported to the museum by an antiquities expert three years ago, but only made public last week.
The scandal has also reignited the debate over the museum’s ownership and display of artefacts that were acquired during the colonial era, such as the Parthenon marbles, the Benin bronzes, and the Ethiopian tabots. Many of these artefacts have been claimed by their countries of origin, who argue that they were looted or taken without consent, and that they belong to their cultural heritage. The museum has resisted these claims, citing its role as a global custodian of world culture and history, and its ability to protect and preserve the artefacts.
However, the theft has undermined the museum’s credibility and authority, and has given more ammunition to the advocates of restitution and repatriation. As Despina Koutsoumba, the head of the Association of Greek Archaeologists, said: “We want to tell the British Museum that they cannot any more say that Greek culture heritage is more protected in the British Museum.”
The theft has also exposed the vulnerability and fragility of the museum’s collection, which is stored in various locations across London, some of which are not secure or climate-controlled. The museum has acknowledged that it needs to invest more in its infrastructure and technology, as well as in its staff and training, to prevent such incidents from happening again.
The British Museum is facing a crisis of confidence and trust, both internally and externally, and it will take a lot of time and effort to restore its reputation and credibility. The museum will have to demonstrate that it can safeguard its treasures, as well as its values, and that it can engage with its stakeholders and audiences in a transparent and respectful way. The museum will also have to rethink its role and responsibility in the 21st century, and how it can balance its global vision with its local accountability. The museum will have to prove that it is not only a custodian of the past, but also a leader of the future.
