Contentious Artifacts: The History and Legality of the Elgin Marbles
Authors
Wang Sien
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In the early nineteenth century, Lord Elgin of Britain removed a number of pieces from the monumental complex of the Parthenon in Athens. Since that time, these pieces of the famous temple of Athena have not been returned to Greece but instead remain in a museum in London. Over the course of the past two hundred years, the artifacts have come to be known as the Elgin Marbles and due to questions surrounding their provenance, they form one of the most controversial subjects in the study of the classical world. The present paper reviews the historical background and circumstances surrounding their removal by Lord Elgin during the Ottoman period. Emphasis is given to the role that the Ottoman firman has played in the legal and ethical debates over whether the artifacts should be returned to their original setting in Athens. Rather than arguing for a specific conclusion over their provenance, the following presents both sides of the conflict in order to allow the reader to appreciate the tension between the question of cultural heritage and international law.
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Authors
Wang Sien
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