Brooklyn Museum Returns Pre-Columbian Artifacts, But There's A Catch

Usually, the return of artifacts to their country of origin involves legal threats or repeated pleas, but instead this story is about cleaning house rather than the clearing of conscience.

The Brooklyn Museum wants to return nearly 4500 pre-Columbian artifacts to Costa Rica in order to save space in their archives. They have offered the objects to the National Museum of Costa Rica, which has accepted, but has not raised the $59,000 needed to pack and ship the first set of items.

The artifacts include bowls, figurines, ceremonial metates, benches and other objects, mostly made of ceramic or stone. They are part the museum's collection of nearly 5000 objects exported nearly a century ago by railroad magnate Minor C. Keith, which were found on his Costa Rican banana plantations. The Brooklyn Museum will keep some of the more valuable items, including some made of gold and jade. Previous attempts to give away the objects to Costa Rican and American museums were unsuccessful.

The museum has been downsizing its collection for the last decade, deaccessioning works which are not exhibited or do not fit the museum's mission. Reducing the size of their permanent collection will save the museum storage costs and staff members' time.

Most museums are only able to display approximately 2-5% of their collection, leaving the rest in storage rarely (or never) to be seen by the public. It is unlikely the returned objects were ever displayed at the Brooklyn Museum.

Comments

[absolutesense]

12:59 AM on 01/09/2011

My goodness if someone disagrees with someone is there always such rudeness between them?

[LisaCACO]

11:24 AM on 01/08/2011

museums are more than just places to "display" "art". they are places which house artifacts and researchers go there when they need access to the items. the fact that only 2-5% of the items are displayed isn't a bad thing for the public. it's maybe costly for the museum, which has to maintain the items, but it's also costly to display the items. btw, many of these items are fragments of pottery and other items that the general population finds less than interesting (for instance, not shiny gold or painted pretty things). They are, however, of much interest to archaeologists and art historians.

about the repatriation of the materials-they should return all the items, not just the items with less monetary value. it's just a remnant of colonialism that we feel we can just keep all the items we stole or "bought" (wink wink, nod nod). Just one of the many reasons people around the world hate the west-we own their past.

[Aubrey Parchment]

11:14 PM on 01/05/2011

The "Costa Ricans" certainly did give the artifacts to RailRoad Magnate Minor Keith. Keith was the son-in-law of Costa Rica's first president Jose Maria Castro Madriz, but Costa Rica's historians don't like to say so. Keith as son-in-law cut a deal with the CR government to own hundreds of thousands of acres of land in return for building the railroad. The land belonged to Keith (and President Castro's family), not to "Costa Rica." The shameful way in which Costa Rica has treated both the Native Americans and West Indians who lived on the land from which the artifacts were removed makes "Costa Rica" unworthy of claiming them back. And by the way, Keith's company gave the classic track line back to the CR government, which promptly drove it into un-usability, as trucking interests prevailed over economy and ecology in best "Costa Rican" style.

[brainsnack]

10:53 PM on 01/05/2011

I would love to own a piece of art that could be 1000 years old. Maybe a small number of pieces could be put on ebay. That would help with the shipping.

[Milosovich]

10:15 PM on 01/05/2011

I'd take some, if they gave them to me...got enough space on my shelves...

[temenos]

09:55 PM on 01/05/2011

"Most museums are only able to display approximately 2-5% of their collection..........."

Surely, using a web site museums could now display the bulk of their collections. They could even charge a small fee for access to defray the costs.

[MagicSprinkles]

09:40 PM on 01/05/2011

How about having a tag-sale in the parking lot?

[escobar]

09:17 PM on 01/05/2011

Too bad the Fruit company is too cheap to pay for it.
They even have the power to run a sort of charity fund raiser

[TricksR4Kids]

09:14 PM on 01/05/2011

Costa rican givers!!!

[Rick Eriksen]

09:13 PM on 01/05/2011

Just a little snarky...

[Angelaaaa]

09:13 PM on 01/05/2011

As the Costa Ricans neither gifted the artifacts nor endorsed their removal - they should ALL be returned (yes, even the valuable stuff!) and the current (illegal?) owner should pay the costs.

[Crystal water]

09:03 PM on 01/05/2011

The Brits have to return all the artefacts they took from India and Egypt.

[onwisconsin]

09:00 PM on 01/05/2011

They should return it all and pay for the return.

[rhymney]

08:51 PM on 01/05/2011

If they are giving the stuff back they should at least give back the good stuff too.

[BryantG]

08:07 PM on 01/05/2011

If I find something on my property, how old does it have to be in order for it "not" to belong to me?

[garystartswithg]

08:15 PM on 01/05/2011

Aren't we simple minded?

[kurotenshi]

08:22 PM on 01/05/2011

If it is not part of a burial and you are in the US and it was your property, then it is yours to keep. Though, you will be encourage to give it a public trust like a museum. Also, if it is part of a burial, you lose all rights to it, and quite possibly to disturbing the land.