Sneha Sikand on Asia Society’s panel discussion on collecting Ancient Art
The conversation actually stemmed from the fact that Ancient Art, especially when there is no official record of it can often get stuck in the middle of legal restrictions. What are the implications when importing works from countries like China and India into USA? Has it been stolen from its rightful owner? Does the Museum have the authority to hold an important artefact? And if so, how does it actually make it through custom regulations?
The Future of the Past started as a discussion about the relevance of antiquities in current times but more importantly, it touched upon the importance of cultural property, and an effort to create some semblance of balance between organizations and people who retain these important works, and people who are actually the rightful owners.
Read an article about this discussion.