The Return of Cultural Treasures [Hardcover]

Jeanette Greenfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 24, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0521802164 | ISBN-13: 978-0521802161 | Edition: 3

In recent years controversial cases such as the so-called Elgin Marbles have prompted public debate on the return of cultural treasures to their homelands. In this fully revised and expanded third edition of her seminal work, The Return of Cultural Treasures, Jeanette Greenfield analyzes and discusses the historical, legal and political issues surrounding a wide cross-section of similar cases. Bringing the story up-to-date, this edition includes new chapters on wartime plunders, deliberately destroyed art and the return of ethnic art such as Australian aboriginal and Native American art. It also explores the palaeontological and marine archaeology issues at play and examines new approaches taken by museums when dealing with cultural objects and their return. Written in a highly accessible style with an interdisciplinary approach, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in cultural heritage, archaeology and anthropology, museums, art history and international law.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Denmark's restitution to Iceland in 1971 of priceless Icelandic medieval manuscripts stands as an example of enlightened cooperation. But the ownership of many other cultural treasures is hotly disputed, such as that of the Elgin Marbles--or Parthenon Marbles, as the Greeks call them--now in the British Museum. In an enlightening, wide-angled survey of a global problem, Greenfield, a Cambridge scholar, weighs dozens of claims for the restitution of objects, from the Koh-i-noor diamond, claimed by India and Pakistan, to African gold relics, Chinese scrolls and Maori carvings. Building on the work of UNESCO and other agencies, Greenfield sets forth criteria for deciding whether a particular artifact should be returned to the country of origin. She also scans the escalating worldwide traffic in stolen art objects, noting that auction houses and dealers are subject to few legal controls. This provocative, richly illustrated study deserves a wide readership.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In his somewhat technical exposition of the now-topical subject of cultural property and its handling, Greenfield develops a middle-ground stance. He presents the legal, historical, and political dilemmas in a moderate fashion, though he still acknowledges that "in terms of profitability, art theft is ranked second in the world to drug trade." He further argues that there is sufficient precedent for the "return" of historically removed treasures, plus those involved in illicit trading. Considering in detail the Icelandic Manuscripts, Elgin marbles, and the Australian aboriginal collections, among other treasures, Greenfield clarifies today's headlines with a discussion of the UNESCO Convention, the U.S. Cultural Property Law, and the U.S. Customs Service strict enforcement of the McClain case. The notes and bibliography alone make this essential for large art and law collections.
- Mary Hamel-Schwulst, Towson State Univ., Md.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 522 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 3 edition (December 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521802164
• ISBN-13: 978-0521802161
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,198,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Law > International Law > International Disputes

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Compendium of Tragic Stories, April 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Return of Cultural Treasures (Paperback)

This book, in its second version, includes case studies of 15+ archaeological tragedies. The author and contributing experts document the history of the diaspora of archaeological artifacts from their provenances, the use of these articles in nationalistic and religious contexts, and the struggle for repatriation. This is an excellent book for any archaeologist as it reminds us of the modern context of our work. In addition, students of art history, law, anthropology, and history will find the book useful in its breadth of coverage. I have used this book in curriculum building for undergraduate archaeology students.