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Art

Who Owns It

A permit nobody can produce, a sale that paid for the expedition, and the museums' best argument

Elgin · the Oba of Benin · the British Museum Act · 3 chapters · 9 min read

A lost permit, a punitive expedition, and the strongest case for keeping things where they are.

Free to read: every chapter below is open

Restitution

  1. 01The Document Nobody Can ProduceOn a permit nobody can produce, and an argument about one sentence.
  2. 02Taken in 1897On a case where the paperwork is not in dispute.
  3. 03The Case for Keeping Things Where They AreOn the museums' best argument, stated so that it can be answered.