November 7, 2011
Exhibiting a narative “of creation, of exchange, destruction and recovery”
British Museum director Neil MacGregor talks in Grand terms about an exhibition of rescued artefacts from Afghanistan, describing their existence as part of the overall story. Why is it then, that so little is made of the stories behind the acquisition of so many artefacts in the museum’s collection, focussing instead only on how the objects were created in the first place.
From:
Edmonton Sun
Karzai opens London show of rescued Afghan treasures
By Stefano Ambrogi, Reuters
Last Updated: March 6, 2011 10:00pmEven in the chaos and violence of war there is hope. That is the message running through a new British Museum exhibition of Afghanistan’s ancient treasures thought lost, destroyed, or looted over the past 30 years.
The collection of 200 priceless artefacts spanning 4,000 years of history, from enameled Roman glass goblets, stunning solid gold headdresses and polished stone tableware from Egypt, were saved by a handful of Afghan officials who risked their lives hiding them.
Read the rest of this entry »