Today we sauntered around the British Museum, along with half the population of the world. We took a couple of audio tours; Ancient Egyptians & Top 10 artefacts. So we’ve seen mummies, make-up palettes, Rosetta Stone, Elgin Marbles ….. etc. and also the Lewis Chessmen, created 1150-1200, carved from walrus ivory, lost & then rediscovered 1831. Marvellous. 

I’m left wondering who these wonderful artefacts really belong to. The British Museum? Their country of making? Or perhaps to us all? Is it right to house them with gazillions of other objects in London? Would they get a better and wider appreciation elsewhere? Would repatriation increase or lessen their value and appreciation? How should we honour our past and learn from our ancestors? Can we justify our Victorian collectors’ practices? Are there other ways of telling these stories? Without doubt they do get vast viewing numbers where they are now, but is that enough of a reason to keep them? I’m not sure I’m any the wiser on this one so I wandered around puzzled and amazed in equal measure. See extras of some of the great world objects …