January 4, 2006

Iranian artefacts returning home

Posted at 9:59 pm in British Museum, Similar cases

Various museums (including the British Museum) are lending artefacts from Iran that are in their collection for an exhibition to be held at the National Museum of Iran. As I have mentioned before though, with similar stories, it is sad that countries have to request & negotiate for the temporary loan of what originally belonged to them. In this instance, the only reason for the British Museum’s loan appears to be that it is reciprocating the loan by Iran of many objects for an exhibition there last year.

From:
Persian Journal (Iran)

Jan 3rd, 2006 – 14:28:14
Most Precious Iranian Artifact Coming Back Home
Jan 3, 2006

A unique collection of Iranian artifacts kept in museums throughout the world will be gathered and displayed at the National Museum of Iran (NMI).

NMI curator Mohammadreza Kargar said that after the recent exhibition “Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia” opened in Britain, the NMI arranged to display a collection of Iranian treasures kept in the British Museum, the Louvre, the Hermitage, and the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

According to Kargar, the Oxus treasure, including outstanding and characteristic examples of Achaemenid metalwork as well as the Cyrus Cylinder, a clay cylinder of a decree issued by Cyrus the Great after he conquered Babylon that is regarded as the first human rights charter, which are both kept in the British Museum, will be loaned to the National Museum.

He stated that the museum hall allocated for the temporary exhibition is not ready yet, adding that the hall is being established in the northern section of the Islamic Department of the museum.

In 1895, Nasser ad-Din Shah of the Qajar dynasty granted archaeological concessions to the French government. According to the contract, the sum of 10,000 toomans (50,000 francs) was offered to the shah, and it was agreed that half of the findings would belong to the French government. It was at this time when the capitals, the enameled tiles, and other Achaemenid artifacts from Susa were transferred to France to become part of the collection of the Louvre.

The Hermitage and the Metropolitan Museum of New York are also home to ancient carpets, metalwork, inscriptions, and Persian miniature works from Iran.

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1 Comment »

  1. Bling said,

    07.15.13 at 6:17 pm

    In 1972 (around that time) I was going with a Iranian..He never shared with me about the looters…Was this around when the Shaw was getting kicked out of Iran??????How did people get a hold of the artifacts????and how did they get into the different museums???and how do you know that they where yours??????How many were taken and how many did you get back?????Never been to Iran but I like the men here in the States…..looks like a beautiful country…..Sassoon was the name of the guy I was going with back when the Shaw was getting exile….All his family was here and they where dancing their dance when they heard the Shaw was exile. I forgot why the Shaw was getting exile……I remember that a women took his place????right ????I remember she had many hundred shoes…..she liked shoes…..Right??????Its been so long like almost 40 years when I heard about the Shaw………How do you know that he didn’t take some of these artifacts???????Did you get back all of them or are there still some lost????????Now is this when it happened the taken of the artifacts???????and why did it take so long to get them back?????? Hope you can answer all my questions on this subject….I know it is some years ago but I can’t remember all the details……can you??????>???>?> thanks

    s

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