detail of a the Parthenon frieze with the Panathenaic procession
Panathenaic procession and cavalcade, detail of the north frieze from the Parthenon at Athens, 438–432 bce; part of a collection sometimes called the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum, London.
elginism
- Related Topics:
- museum
- art market
- art theft
- antiquities
elginism, the taking of cultural treasures, often from one country to another (usually to a wealthier one). It is commonly associated with debates over “cultural patrimony,” “cultural property,” and related international agreements, such as the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970), designed to protect cultural artifacts. The term is sometimes applied to any looting of cultural heritage for personal gain. The term is derived from the title of Thomas Bruce, 7th earl of Elgin (1766–1841). During his tenure as British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire ...(100 of 1444 words)